


A Christmas Carol

by huehuehue



Series: Of Magic and Managers [1]
Category: Loki - Fandom, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mythology & Folklore - Fandom, Norse Religion & Lore, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, Arranged Marriage, Conspiracy, F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Hate to Love, Heartbreak, Helheimr | Hel (Realm), Inspired by Supernatural (TV), Mythology & Folklore, Plot Twists, Plot later porn, Politics, Post-Thor: The Dark World, Ragnarok, Seduction, Slow Burn, Strong Female Characters, The Nine Realms, Thor Is a Good Bro, Treason, expect the unexpected
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 22:18:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 226,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6772504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huehuehue/pseuds/huehuehue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>A major AU taking place in our universe, with no Avengers or superpowers. Supernatural-style, Warsaw-based. An alternative interpretation of Ragnarok myth.</b><br/>What would you do if you met a movie character? Well, you'd hit him on the head and you'd make him do things he hates, it's pretty obvious... A series of unbelievable events begins on Christmas eve, when a young girl witnesses a child being kidnapped by a strange demonic creature and accidentally traps in her kitchen the God of Lies himself. She approaches the problem with due proactivity and forces Loki into a deal in order to return the boy and together save the world from the upcoming Apocalypse.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stolen Child

_“She made me feel things. And I didn’t like it at all.”  
The End of the F***ing World _

\----------

Good stories do not usually begin in the suburbs of small Eastern-European cities. It is highly unlikely that a breathtaking spin of events ever takes place in a single-family house neighbourhood, especially on Christmas time when the remote parts of Warsaw turn quiet and sleepy. However, unlikely does not mean impossible, and a series of unexpected and shocking accidents happened this holiday season - a magical, yet scary sequence worth telling about.

The quiet one-way street at the outskirts of Warsaw was inhabited by boring folk in single-family houses. Neat dwellings hosted either the elderly, or well-off families with children. Julia’s neighbor to the left was a quiet lady in her sixties with a golden retriever. To the right lived an Austrian banker who had moved to Warsaw with a wife and a ten year old son, to rule over the local Corporate Branch of Raiffeisen Bank. And then, there was Julia herself - a twenty-six year old with a stable position somewhere in the middle of the corporate food chain; with no family or golden retriever.

The doorbell rang, and Julia shook the cookies off the hot baking tray before heading to answer the door. Her blonde and small Austrian neighbour was standing there, holding little Haig’s hand.

"Come in," Julia smiled at the visitors. The boy returned the smile, and marched into the kitchen straight to the cookies.

Martha was desperately sorry for the inconvenience - of course she was, because normally one does not come to the neighbour's house on Christmas eve to leave a child for the night. But with her relatives landing four hours late due to a storm and with the babysitter at her own family dinner, the woman had no other choice. Frankly speaking, Julia did not mind - she had no family dinner scheduled. Her own parents were solidly settled in London and she was supposed to pay them a visit, but as the girl kept postponing the purchase of tickets, the prices grew, making last-minute booking an unachievable luxury for a middle class office worker with a lifelong housing loan. And naturally, she was too proud and independent to let her parents pay for the ticket. God knows how much Julia envied her neighbour this family time. She put on a wide careless smile:

"I am spending the holidays alone, so drive safe and don't worry about anything. We talked this over, didn't we? I’m not even gonna eat those cookies. But Haig will, right?"

The boy occupied the couch already, the bowl of cookies by his side. Martha looked relieved. Julia closed the door behind the woman, and turned to the child.

"The rules are the same as always: if you get hungry, go fetch for food, anything you find in the fridge is yours, except for the beer and Tabasco. Tomorrow I have a Skype call with my family, so I need some Christmas spirit around here. Wanna decorate?"

Of course, Haig wanted to. For some time Julia watched him run around with garlands and lamps, and thought that maybe, this Christmas was not so bad after all. Tomorrow she will Skype her parents, hit the gym alongside other lonely weirdos with no Christmas spirit, and eat a whole bucket of chocolate chip ice cream to compensate for the lack of family time. It sounded like a plan.

Within an hour all available surfaces downstairs were shining brightly with color lamps and glittery glue drawings. Julia and Haig sat on the couch together and watched Batman Beyond in a room filled with flickering lights and the smell of freshly-baked cookies. It felt like Christmas. Julia felt her head getting heavy, and tucked a small pillow under her cheek. Haig yawned and blinked lazily at some guy getting beaten up in a dark alley.

"Let’s light the fire?" The boy suggested. The frost outside was growing heavier, and the room was getting a little too cold for comfort.

"I don't know how to use the fireplace yet, sorry," Julia confessed. "But I can get you a blanket."

"You’ve lived here for three years, don’t say you never tried! I could light it up," Haig volunteered, and occupied the whole couch.

The girl slowly walked up the stairs to the bedroom, and took a thick blanket out of the closet. She glanced at the mirror before leaving the room, and frowned at the sight of frost patterns on its surface.

"What the hell…?" Julia touched the cold surface of the looking glass with the tips of her fingers. If there had been a heating system breakdown, she wouldn't be able to report it anywhere during Christmas holidays, and it would be very unfortunate to freeze to death.

At this moment Julia felt a slight vibration of the floor beneath her feet. Then something hit the wall from the other side, the blow so strong that the console moved and the mirror rocked from side to side. Julia screamed and backed away, squeezing the blanket in her hands. The following blow left a thin crack on the wall. With the next hit, the frost-covered mirror fell on the floor and shattered.

Julia ran out of the bedroom.

"Haig! Get out of the house!” When she was on the stairs, the house shook once more. The girl slipped and fell on her back, hitting her head badly. "Haig! Earthquake!" She yelled again, getting up. The world was spinning a little.

Julia darted into the living room, and was blinded by a bright halo. A blow of cold wind that hit her was so strong, that the girl had to hold onto the wall in order to stand straight. Julia raised one hand to cover her eyes, and in the blinding blue light, she witnessed a demon.

A dark silhouette was so tall that it touched the ceiling, and the curved horns of the creature scratched two deep lines beside the chandelier. The giant beast stood on its two rear legs, but it had a long cow-like tail that swept the floor. The monster sniffed the air, and turned around to face the girl.

Julia wanted to run but could not move, paralyzed with fear. The being was hideous and terrifying, it had a long skull covered in shreds of skin in place of a face, with two small yellow eyes gleaming in the eyeholes. Vapor was coming out of the creature’s nostrils. The girl took a tiny step back, and noticed that the monster was holding the unconscious boy. A paw with long claws was firmly gripping the child’s body, pressing it to the beast's side.

With a low howl the creature made a step towards Julia, but hesitated. The blue spinning vortex behind its back started to spin faster, and the beast backed off. With its giant clawed paw the monster pushed a tall bookshelf towards the girl, and jumped into the shining swirl. Its long tail whipped the air, and a gust of cold air flew through the kitchen. Before the heavy books hit Julia on the head, she saw the strange puddle of light dissolve, leaving no trace of the terrible creature and the stolen child. And then, the whole world went dark.

Julia got up from the floor coughing out ashes. The fireplace little Haig had decorated with Christmas socks was literally torn apart. There was a narrow crack under the ceiling that ran down the wall, and a hole in place of her fireplace, that looked like an open wound. Snow, bricks, pieces of mortar and an enormous amount of dust and ashes covered the floor. Where the hell did the ashes come from if she had never lit the fireplace?!

The world was blurry as if she had used one of those Instagram filters. Julia limped through the hall, hitting a couple of walls on the way, and pushed the front door open. On the? third attempt she managed to dial the emergency number with shaky hands. The rest of the evening after the police haad arrived was a crazy spin of faces, bright lights and questions followed by the worried looks of the officers and a psychologist. Yes, there were horns. Yes, there were hooves. No, she was not crazy.

\----------

Julia had no idea if the police officers believed a single word of a story she had told. She was free to leave the police station around seven in the morning, after a long and exhausting questioning. While the investigation was ongoing, the girl had to remain in the city as the main witness to the peculiar kidnapping case. She wondered why she had not been placed under witness protection, but probably, the police did not consider it necessary since only the boy got taken away. As she walked down the hall, Julia tried not to look at Marta, curled up on a chair and looking smaller than ever.

The mirror in her hallway reflected a pale and exhausted face with a huge black eye, and Julia reluctantly turned away from the looking glass. There were shreds of police tape in the living room and on the lawn in front of the house. The dirty floor was covered in numerous footprints, and both the couch and the coffee table were moved to the wall.

Julia looked at a hole in the wall and shivered. If she were the police she would not believe herself either. The terrifying creature had made its way inside the house through the fireplace, just like Santa Claus.

"Merry fucking Christmas." The girl whispered under her breath.

She was scared beyond her wits. If only she could, Julia would have left her house in Warsaw without even packing a bag. She would have gladly visited her parents in London, she even would have cracked her little brother’s piggy bank in order to pay for the plane ticket. But alas, she was not allowed to leave the city, no matter how much she wanted. Julia wondered if the police considered her a suspect, but it was highly unlikely. Thinking rationally, after hearing her testimony about the demon-goat, the police would rather suspect a nervous breakdown resulting in hallucinations rather than any involvement in the kidnapping. Julia poured herself a glass of water, and ate two pills from the blister she had been given by the psychologist.

Within a couple of hours the girl packed up, and got to the nearby bed-and-breakfast. She sat down on the bed in her room and took another two pills, but this time with whiskey. Julia hoped that the police would find her little neighbour fast. She also hoped that the news of a kidnapping would not make it past the local newspapers, otherwise her parents would freak out, and take the first available flight to Warsaw to watch over their daughter. And of course, she hoped the goat-like creature would not come after her.

Julia slept for about four hours. She was so exhausted that she did not even have nightmares, and missed several calls from her mother and one from the police inspector. The girl checked her black eye and swollen cheek in the mirror, and decided to postpone a Skype video call. Instead, she called her mother herself, and spent an hour complaining about her unfortunate attempt to light the fireplace, that resulted in a small explosion and left her living room damaged. Julia even managed to sound relaxed and careless, and her mother believed her.

A short winter day came to an end, and the sensation of panic overwhelmed Julia. She closed the curtains and turned all lights on. When her Chinese takeaway arrived, the girl nearly fainted upon hearing the phone call from the reception desk. Julia had no idea if she should run to a church, pray, or do nothing and wait. She drank everything from the minibar and was too scared to come out of the room for more, so she just did nothing and waited.

Julia survived the night, and no demon came after her. At first, the girl considered spending one more night in the hotel just to be on the safe side, but then she remembered how easily the monster had gotten into her house, and realized that there was no safe side. If the creature wanted to have her, it would find her anywhere, but for now, she had much to take care of. The wall in the living room was not going to fix itself; the same applied to scheduling the meeting with an insurance agent.

\----------

The weather was magical as Julia slowly dragged herself home. Walking in the middle of the road, with a black eye and a huge open bottle of honey Jack Daniels, she probably looked like her mother’s disappointment. Soft fluffy snowflakes were slowly falling down and melting on her jacket, and on the dark wet ground of the front yards. Under the golden glimmer of streetlights the wet road looked like an oily black river. Each house in the quiet neighborhood was carefully decorated, soft light falling from the windows. Julia took a sip, and marched faster.

She turned left and stopped in front of her own driveway, her house being the only dark spot in the cheerful and shiny street. As she approached the door, Julia tried not to look at the windows of her neighbour's house. With another sip she brushed her fingers on the doorknob and froze. The door was not closed.

Julia forgot how to breathe and to move. For some time she just stood there like a statue with her hand on the doorknob, and felt the thoughts heavy as stones slowly roll inside her head. It was either a burglar who thought that she had gone on a holiday and decided to see what luck could bring, or the demon-goat that returned to drag Julia to hell. At this very moment the girl saw the insides of her house glow with blue the same way as two days ago, but this time the light was less intense. There was also a voice, low and quiet, reciting the words she could not catch out.

The best option was to scream bloody murder and run down the street as far away as possible, but logic and reasonable choices rarely come hand in hand with whiskey. Julia felt anger rise within her like a tide. She was so lonely, sucked into work and bad at meeting new people, that the little cheerful boy sharing her love of Batman and eating her cookies became something more than just a neighbour. Since Thomas and Martha moved in next door Julia got herself a little brother of some sort - and no goat will ever take him away from her.

Uggs made her steps silent, like those of a deadly ninja. Julia slowly opened the door and crept into the dark hall. The walls were lit with flickering blue, and through an open kitchen doorway she could see a long shadow of the beast.

The chant became louder. Julia sheepishly peeked around the corner: the demon that came to visit her dwelling this time was smaller than the first one, but still intimidating. Wrapped in a long cloak with a hood, the beast was kneeling in the centre of the kitchen with its back to the girl, but even like this it was so huge that it seemed to occupy all the space in the room. The blue light was coming from small shiny puddles on the floor and the walls, which were growing bigger as Julia waited and watched. The demonic creature waved its right paw in the air and spoke louder, and the surface of shiny puddles began to ripple likewise water on a windy day. The girl still remained unnoticed, and this was her chance.

Julia took a deep breath, clutched a bottle and crept forward, treading very carefully. The puddles moved along the floor and the walls towards the beast gathering into a big one. The girl stopped behind the creature, slowly raised her hand up high, and with a battle scream she didn't even expect of herself lowered the bottle on the demon’s head with one sharp move.

It sounded like a church bell combined with an explosive sound of shattered glass. The whole kitchen vibrated and echoed, Julia herself was deafened by the noise and for several moments stood there with a bottle neck in her hand, blinking and breathing heavily. The demon wobbled and collapsed on the floor, face down. The long horns of the creature caught on a shelve and a handful of trinkets and trifles fell off, adding a drum solo to the crazy soundtrack of today’s evening. Julia twitched at another loud “dong” as the beast’s head met the tile. Then, the girl raced towards the switch and hit the lights, ready to face the demon-goat she has so unexpectedly defeated.

The trespasser was no creature, but a man. A tall man dressed in a grey cloak and a golden helmet with long curved horns - no surprise Julia mistook the dark silhouette for the monstrous goat. And now the man lay unconscious in the corner of Julia’s devastated kitchen.

As a final touch of destruction, an open jar of pink himalayan salt fell off the counter and rolled through the kitchen, leaving a pale trail across the floor. At this very moment the blue sparks filled the kitchen, and the big shiny puddle floating in the air started spinning like a whirlpool, until it got smaller and disappeared with a "swoosh". A gust of cold wind blew through the kitchen. Julia was left with an unconscious body in the corner and completely no idea what to do next.


	2. Cosplayers and Witches

The smell of whiskey was in the air, but Julia sobered up in an instant. Very slowly she approached her unconscious trespasser, trying to decide if she was feeling relieved or disappointed. Instead of hunting down a demon-goat she knocked out a cosplayer - which was a good thing, but she also wasted an expensive bottle of Jack. The guy actually nailed it - the Loki apparel looked very real; the helmet itself was no cheap plastic but some kind of metal, maybe copper. There were just a couple of things which were unclear: why lurk in her kitchen in a cosplay outfit, and what does it have to do with disappearance of Haig?

A famous proverb as old as the world clearly states that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Julia pulled the phone out of the back pocket of her jeans, and considered her options. A safe and reasonable one was to call the police. She would hand over the man and testify, then brawl with the insurance company and sue the trespasser. Her life would be back to normal, although Julia had a feeling that the niggle of guilt for her accidental involvement in the disappearance of little Haig would never leave her… Hence, she had no other choice but to go for the exact opposite of reasonable.

The girl decisively shoved the phone back into the pocket. There was one connection she saw between the visit of a strangely-dressed man, and the kidnapping of the boy: the lights. The sparks of blue dancing around the figure of the trespasser were the same as those embracing the disappearing silhouette of the demon-goat. Maybe the man knew where the beast had come from, and where it was heading; maybe, Julia would be able to make the stranger talk. She would surely hand him over to the police afterwards, together with the evidence that her version of the kidnapping was not a creepy fantasy of a frightened girl. The police would listen, and find a way to save the boy.

Or maybe, the whole Christmas eve tragedy would turn out to be nothing but a prank, a stupid TV-show with actors scaring the hell out of unsuspecting people, and Haig would run out of the closet laughing - then, she would sue the TV-show as well.

The girl took a heavy jar off the shelve, cautiously tiptoed closer to the unconscious man, and with her eyes shut, let go of the object right onto his head, just to be safe. When a loud metal clatter confirmed the kill, Julia darted towards the hallway locker for supplies.

Within a couple of minutes Julia used up all the duct tape she could find, and firmly tied the stranger’s hands behind his back. She even found herself a heavy crowbar in the toolbox to make her point stronger, would there be such need. Everything was going as per her plan, until the man on the floor moaned, and moved.

Julia almost tripped on the mess of shattered bowls and cutlery. With a racing heart she watched the stranger raise his head over the floor. Long curved horns scratched the wall, and the sound made Julia nervously shiver. She swallowed and got a better grip on the crowbar. 

The trespasser opened his eyes, grunted and jerked his hands. As he felt the ties on, he froze, and Julia could see the muscles on his back tense up. She shivered again and let out a nervous gasp, and the man on the floor heard her. His head slowly turned towards the girl, and the eyes focused on her. Then the visitor rolled over to his side and got up on the knees to face her, his moves so fast and agile that Julia involuntarily took a step back. The man raised his head and barked out something in a low angry voice, and the girl almost swore aloud. It was not getting easier - her trespasser was a foreigner.

"Sorry, I don't speak Cosplay," Julia spat out in English, hoping he would understand. "Who the fuck are you? And what are you doing here?"

The man either failed to understand, or simply ignored her angry questioning, studying the kitchen instead. The trail of salt on the floor caught his attention. The stranger raised his eyes to meet her alert gaze, and frowned.

"Are you a witch?" He asked in English, speaking slowly with a heavy, German-like accent. 

Julia blinked. Even concerning this whole situation the question was weird.

"Witch?! No, I'm a Junior Customer Service Specialist, why do you…” she mumbled, feeling the crowbar slide out of her grip as her palms became sweaty. “Hey, answer me! Why are you in my house?! Wha-... How… Where is..."  
"Shut up." The stranger commanded and got up from his knees, rather graciously for someone who has just suffered a double concussion. "And let me go."  
"Hell, no! You get in here dressed up like a Comic con star, there were blue puddles all over my kitchen, my neighbour is gone, it’s very late, and I'll kick your brains out if you dare to move!"

Her voice turned into a squeak, and Julia stopped abruptly to catch a breath, and waved her crowbar at the captive. The man chuckled and yanked his arms to the sides with one sharp move, tearing the tape with no effort. Julia squeaked as she watched him straighten his back and slowly fold his arms on the chest.

"I said, let me go - and I will not do you harm."

Julia jumped back, holding the crowbar in shaky hands in front of her. Not only was she scared to death, but there was also a big, fat logical hole in the situation that she had gotten herself into. The strangely dressed trespasser just effortlessly tore her improvised restraints apart, which meant that he could overpower her if only he wanted. However, for some unknown reason, he didn’t do it.

Julia recalled all the thrillers she had watched, and cursed her own boldness and stupidity. Now it was not little Haig’s life that was at stake, but her own. The man in a horned helmet was clearly a psycho, a serial killer, like that one who never came into a house if the front door was locked, because he felt unwelcome. Maybe she will survive, if she plays by his rules? The girl cleared her throat.

"You… you did not steal anything, it’s just weird and I am very afraid of you. In fact, you can leave, I… I insist you leave! I won’t call the police or anything. And… your costume is great, I get it, you cannot break the character and stuff… Please just go, would you?" Julia went on in a shaky voice, moving as far away from the door as possible to give her guest some space.

The man did not move.

"Will you please go away?!" Julia howled with a begging voice.  
"Are you mocking me?!" The trespasser hissed at her and with one violent fast move thrust out his right hand. 

It looked like he hit an invisible wall: the air vibrated under his hand, and for a moment the line of salt on the floor glowed with bright white.

"Woah…" Julia whispered and felt her knees wobble. With one more step back she felt the wall behind her and slowly lowered herself on the floor. "How did you do this?"  
"I did nothing," the trespasser spat out. "You were the one to cage me in the circle, witch!"

Julia stared at the salt spilled on the floor. She did not understand much yet, but a crazy suspicion already appeared at the back of her head - an idea as insane as this year’s Christmas season.

"Please tell me, who are you? Why are you dressed like a Loki?" She whispered.

The visitor gave her a disgusted arrogant look.

"What should I be dressed like?" He asked. "For I am Loki Laufeyson, the Allfather of Asgard."

Silence fell upon the kitchen. The girl blinked a couple of times, absorbing and processing the information, and then she started to laugh. She laughed loudly and hysterically, letting out the frustration and fear that had filled her life since Christmas eve, swaying from side to side and wiping off tears - and she went on laughing till the muscles on her stomach hurt and she could breathe no more. 

"Asgard my ass!" She cried out. "Loki?! For reals?! God, sorry… I mean… It’s just crazy; you even have the helmet… You’re awesome, but did you really think that I would believe you? Is it some kind of a show? We're on TV, right?"

Julia burst into laughing once more, and breathed in several times to calm herself down.

"All right… Sorry for this, but seriously, who are you? I mean, the outfit is amazing, but you cannot come into my kitchen like this no matter the costume! I told you I won't report you breaking in, so just stop messing around, and run on. I can even close my eyes and pretend you disappeared!"

Julia made a welcoming gesture towards the door, but it was left unnoticed. She sighed. If at first the idea to catch the man and interrogate him herself seemed like a brilliant one, now Julia did not care about anything but the danger she sensed upon her own self. She was alone in a dark house with an unnaturally strong insane masquerader. God knows what he is up to, so the sooner the madman leaves, the better for her. Unsure of what he would do if she tried to dial the emergency number, Julia decided to play along. She cleared her throat.

"All right, um, Loki? I will release you, my prisoner, if you promise to do me no harm and get out of my property." Julia declared as solemnly as she could, and cautiously got up from the floor. "By the power of witchcraft I command you to depart to your magical Kingdom, just like the demon-goat did, and never cross paths with me again..."  
"You saw him," the man interrupted her. 

Julia blinked.

"What?" The girl shook her head.  
"Demon-goat, you say? You must have seen the creature."

The man's reaction to the information she had just occasionally shared was comforting. For this whole time Julia had been worried sick, wondering if she was actually going crazy. It was nice to receive confirmation of the demon-goat’s existence, even though it came from a weirdo. However, the ardour and excitement Julia had felt when she knocked the stranger out, were long gone. She returned to being her sane and rational self, a corporate employee who would rather entrust her neighbour's life to the police officers. On the other hand…

"I am not sure what exactly I saw. It was a very tall figure with horns - just like those you have here…" Julia tapped her forehead. "Or maybe bigger. And it was wrapped in a cloak… I actually mistook you for the other guy because it was dark… So, first the whole house shook, then I ran downstairs and it was holding Haig, and then the room got all shiny - just like your blue puddles - and there was an explosion… When I got up from the floor there were ashes and the room was a mess."

The expression on the cosplayer’s face did not change, but he looked around the kitchen again, probably making notice of something she was unaware of.

"When did this happen?"  
"On the 23rd, around nine in the evening."

Julia glanced at her wristwatch. God, it was exactly two days ago. These two days lasted like a week, though.

"You know something about the thing which came here, don't you..? I mean, I even started to think I made it all up… You know, as a protective psychological reaction. The police even gave me pills. Or I thought, there might be a satanic cult in the city, and they wear some kind of ritual robes…"  
"The creature which came after the child is real, I'm afraid." The visitor told Julia. "You Midgardians would call it a demon."

Once again silence filled the kitchen. Julia shifted from one foot to another and shivered at the sound of glass shards crunch under her boots. A crazy suspicion that the guy is not a cosplayer has returned.


	3. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Negotiations and diplomacy at its finest, resulting in a deal of the century.

As if the evening couldn't get any crazier.

"What’s a Midg… No, wait. A demon?!" Julia pressed fingertips to her temples. "Let's start from the very beginning here, but I want to stress out that I will question your every word. You say that you are Loki. Like, a Norse God Loki, a Trickster, a God of Mischief?"  
"Mh-m." The stranger replied.  
"“You... exist."  


Julia saw the tiniest glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

“Well, last time I checked…” The alleged Loki looked down at himself, his arms slightly spread to the sides.  
"Next question," Julia snapped fiercely. "What is a Loki doing in my house? I mean, we are in Warsaw. It is Central Europe, not New York."  
"Yes, I have noticed that everything looks too small," Loki huffed at her, looking somewhat annoyed. "I have arrived to your dwelling to hunt the beast."  
"The demon-goat?" Julia specified.  
"Yes, the demon-goat, if you want to name it so."  
"Wait, and what about the whole Avengers thing? If you exist, does it mean that they…?"

The man’s face twitched. He pursed his lips.

"Yes. They are real."  
"Woah… Awesome," Julia whispered. "Are they also planning to come over? Is Iron Man also… No, stop… The goat. Why would you be hunting it? You are not supposed to be here, you live in Asgard. Oh, God, you took over Asgard! What did you do to Odin? Did you kill him?!"  
"The fate of Odin does not concern you," the prisoner spat out and crossed the arms on his chest. "You want to learn about the creature, and so I shall tell you: I hunt it because it is a threat to me and my Realm."

Julia sat down on the floor cross-legged. She could not yet decide if she should be taking this questioning seriously, but after the disappearance of Haig she was prepared to somewhat broaden her horizons. And the presence of a Norse God in her kitchen was only a little bit more weird than a goat kidnapping little children. So, she proceeded.

"I assume you did take over Asgard if you called yourself “Allfather”. But let's get back to the point: what is this goat exactly? Why does it go around stealing children?"  
"The _goat_ is a powerful magical creature; in your perception of reality it could be called a demon. Krampus is its name, given by those who witnessed it roam this land centuries ago."  
"Yeah, right… Krampus is a children's tale!" Julia exclaimed nervously. "And so are you!"

The alleged Loki growled. Julia studied his apparel, grey and dark green with a few copper decorative elements, and pointed at the salt on the floor.

"Next question: what's with the salt? You really cannot go over this line, right?"  
"If I could I would have left long ago." The visitor slightly lowered his head.  
"But why? Is it some kind of a secret phobia of yours?"  
"Salt, cold iron and oak." The man pointed at the cutlery and the horseshoe laying in the trail of salt. "These elements form a magical barrier which holds me. Though I assume you had no intention to compose them together."

Julia looked down at the big wooden spoon, and a decorative horseshoe laying in the trail of salt. This must have been the reason why he called her a witch. She had bought the horseshoe at a flea market right after getting the keys to the house. It was meant to hang on the front door, but ended up on the shelf along with wooden cutlery which was leaving splinters. She didn’t even know it was oak... The objects must have fallen off the shelf when Julia had knocked the alleged Loki out.

"And the blue lights?"  
"A portal. I was recreating the one used by the beast. You approached me when I was supposed to follow the creature."

Julia sighed, they were returning to the point where she declared this all was bullshit.

"So, _Krampus_. In Christmas tales, the goat is some kind of a dark-side Santa, he takes away naughty children. What does he do with them? Eat?!" Julia stood up and started walking back and forth. "It doesn't make sense, there would be so many reports of children missing on Christmas! I mean, this would be a big deal if every Christmas a bunch of kids would go missing! And why Haig? He is not naughty!"  
"The details do not concern you so do not waste my time," the man replied with irritation. "Now that you know what happened to the child, I demand you let me go."

Julia put hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.

"Not happening! Why would you care about this demonic goat stealing children? Are you some kind of magical police? You creep into my house saying you are Loki, but that’s crazy, that’s just as crazy as if you told me that Santa and Tinkerbell are real! I… I refuse to believe your bullshit! None of this is possible, and you do not exist!"

Loki silently gave the magical barrier another punch, and the light bulb in the chandelier exploded, leaving them in darkness.

"Answer!" Julia cried out. "Or I swear I will lock the house up and leave you here forever!"

The man sighed and gave up.

"Each Realm lives by its own rules." Loki spoke in a reluctant tone. "The Midgard I have come across before hosts a species with abilities you would refer to as superpowers. And this place has magic… actually used to have ages ago, but the old legends have turned into tales for children, and people have forgotten it. And now it comes back in form of creatures which once inhabited this land alongside men. The Krampus is one of the many which have returned already, and more will follow. And if not stopped, he will bring trouble to Asgard."  
"By stealing children in Warsaw?"  
"Before magic left your world, Krampus did not take many children, but only one each year. Not as food, but as sacrifice. And every time, one would fight him so that sacrifice would not be successful."  
"Wait up… What kind of sacrifice?"  
"He is in service of more powerful beings who rule the Realm of the unliving. And each year he would take one child and hold a ritual to open the doors between the land of the living and the land of the dead."  
"And Santa… Santa would be the one to fight him…" Julia shook her head at the unexpected revelation.  
"I believe with time your legends and lore turned his foe into a saint." Loki nodded and continued. "What happens to your world in case the child sacrifice is successful would have been no concern of mine, unless all Realms of the living were connected. With one gone, more shall follow, and it is in my best interest to make sure that Asgard does not face its end because of some wicked spirit that has a soft spot for human sacrifice. There is an ancient prophecy that says that at some moment, Asgard and all the other Realms shall face Ragnarok, the terrible irreversible end. I want to make sure that it doesn’t happen. I have been hunting Krampus for two days now, and I traced him back to your house. I was about to recreate the portal he had used, and follow the creature, when you… stepped in."

Julia awkwardly hugged herself under the man’s scornful glare.

"Sorry for that." She attempted to smile. The girl actually had to admit that on a crazy night like this the story sounded convincing. "You said that magical creatures are returning. Why is that?"

Loki shrugged.

"How coud I know? Your world has just reappeared on the map of the Nine Realms, literally emerging out of nowhere, this could have been the reason. Or maybe, the time has come. I believe that no one will ever know, why the magical creatures were gone in the first place."

The girl sighed. By some wild chance she ended up in the epicentrum of the most unbelievable Christmas adventure, with an ancient Norse God arriving to save the world from being wiped out by the forces of darkness.

"I am still bothered by the fact that a fictional character visits my kitchen at night. You know you are not real, right?" She asked just to make sure.  
"Oh, I assure you that I am very real." Loki still looked annoyed, but now the conversation seemed to amuse him. "I just come from a Realm hidden from your sight. However, some gifted Midgardians can sense the connection between worlds better than others - and this is how most tales appear. The person who shared my story must have been one of those gifted ones."

Julia tried to decide, how she could use the knowledge about the awakening of magic, but she did not have the slightest idea, what to do.

"Well, you should probably keep going," she nervously licked her lips. "Thanks for the talk, and all... I'm very sorry for hitting you twice. Let's get back to the part where you said you would not hurt me if I let you go." The girl suggested. "How do I set you free?"  
"You break the circle," the man replied.

Julia came closer to the curved tray of pink salt.

"Let's go through this: I will let you go. But in return you will use your magic powers to get the boy back. And... you will not do me any harm. Deal?"

Loki frowned, without saying yes or no.

"The boy: is he your family?"  
"No, he is my bro."  
"Your brother?" The captive cocked his head.  
"No, not a brother. A _bro_ \- I mean, like Robin; a younger friend, a sidekick… Oh, God... Haig is my neighbour, he is ten years old and adorable. He stayed with me that night, Martha had to go pick up the rest of the family from the airport and their plane was delayed, so babysitter was long gone… And I was not going anywhere this Christmas, so…" She stopped to catch a breath.  
"Is this all you want? To get back the child that is not even yours?" Loki seemed surprised.  
"Well, yes… of course, yes! Do you think he's still alive?"  
"I do not have such knowledge. But if he is dead I will return with a body," the man said.

Loki's calm promise sounded disturbing. Julia did not want him to return with little Haig's body, she did not want him to return at all. She was not ready for any of this. If she had paid her family a Christmas visit this wouldn’t be her problem. She would have a calm and drunk family time in sleepy London suburbs. She could build a pillow fort with her brother and there would be no abducted children and strange men in her kitchen. Or would there?

This is when the understanding finally hit her with a sensation of a thousand nails hammered all at once into the spine. Her unexpected Christmas guest came from another world, a bigger world full of supernatural creatures, magic and ancient monsters willing to get through the cracks in reality to the sleeping quiet streets. The wild fantasies and tales which look breathtakingly on book pages are no good in the real world where people might suffer and bleed. And the next place where children start disappearing on Christmas could be London. And from what she could tell, she was the only person on Earth aware of this.

"I apologise for the inconvenience, but there will be…" Julia swallowed and hid her shaky hands behind her back. "There will be a slight change of plans."  
"What kind of change?" Loki hissed, taking a step forward. "I don't have time for a change of plans!"

Julia backed off.

"Please, allow me to explain. I do not want to hold you back, but you just mentioned that there will be monsters. Much more of them. And, the magic is waking up. What will happen after you hunt down the goat, and get Haig back?"

Loki looked confused by her question.

"I shall depart to Asgard." He shrugged. "As I said, your Realm is no concern of mine."  
"But maybe it should be, I mean… If Krampus bothers you, how do you know other creatures will not try to pull out the same satanic ritual with raising the dead or something like this? Do you know who will come next? What should I do?! What should the police do?... Does anyone except for me know what is going to happen?" Julia was thinking aloud, hectically pacing back and forth.

Then the girl stopped to face Loki. She has just come up with a terrible idea she would surely regret.

"I will present you a revised proposition within half an hour." She said, and added before realising how stupid it would sound: "Please do not go anywhere."

\----------

Julia rounder up faster than she anticipated. It took her only twenty minutes to come up with a short contract draft: her supervisor would shed a tear of pride. She pressed her laptop and the printouts to her chest and cautiously peeked into the kitchen. A tall figure was towering in the dark corner, and a pair of green eyes sparked at her with disgust and anger. Julia cleared her throat and tried to walk with her back straight.

"I have thought of what you told me and I believe your story. The problem here is that for now I am the only person who knows what is about to happen, and I cannot do much by myself. Nobody will believe me if I go telling people about magic about to break loose. I mean, the only thing I can do is start a paranormal website… So I cannot use my knowledge to help anyone, and whoever comes next to steal children, there will be panic and chaos. I have a moral obligation to prevent it from happening, and you will help me."

Julia stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Loki remained silent.

"You said that you shall stop the Krampus, therefore, I assume that you have the resources to do the same with other creatures when they wake up. Therefore, I suggest we help each other."  
"Elaborate." Loki narrowed his eyes. From what Julia could say, he did not anticipate anything good.  
"It means that we work together. You are concerned about what will happen to Asgard and about the whole end of the world thing; and I am worried about this place turning into a wild Harry Potter movie. The first mutually beneficial step is saving Haig, and after that we must make sure other people are not in danger. You will proceed with getting rid of creatures if they keep coming, and I will be providing you all the possible assistance. At the same time you do the necessary to stop your end of the world, and again - if there is anything I can do..."

A short laugh interrupted Julia. She gave the man a surprised look.

"You are a weak useless Midgardian who can do _nothing_ ," Loki drawled, tilting his head to a side. "You think a powerful being like me will require your assistance?! You think I shall _negotiate_ with you? I have a suggestion of my own: you stop wasting my time for I have only till midnight. I hunt down the creature, and I will even be kind enough to return you the child if he lives. And you will proceed with living your little life and pray you are ready when the chaos embraces the place."

Julia narrowed her eyes.

"Regarding the point where you mentioned you are in no need of my assistance: it seems you cannot leave my kitchen until I let you. If I were you I would at least hear me out."  
"Stupid woman, do you understand that if I don’t stop the ritual before midnight, both your Realm and mine shall see the end..."

Julia glanced at the wristwatch and bravely raised her eyes to meet his.

"Then it all goes down. It is exactly a quarter past ten now. Take your time and tell me when you are ready to discuss the situation."

Julia marched towards the bar. She could not understand a word from the angry growling behind her back, but for sure Loki was not wishing her well. The girl filled a glass with whiskey and sat on the floor cross-legged.

"Worst Christmas ever," she murmured and took a sip.

Pierced by Loki’s gaze, she found nothing else to do but to study him while she waited. The movie version of him was very alike, but if one had placed the two of them next to each other there would be no doubt which one is real and which one is the actor in character. Loki’s posture emanated with self-certainty and power. Even trapped in a kitchen corner he looked like he owned the place, making Julia feel small. The girl looked at “Loki compilation” video on her laptop screen and back at the captive; and then again, catching out similarities and differences. Real Loki was a bit taller, dressed in darker shades of green and grey. His jawline was sharper and eyes brighter, he moved differently. Julia got lost in her thoughts, maybe even fell asleep for a moment, and jumped up at the sound of a deep low voice filling the kitchen.

"What do you wish to discuss?"

She quickly reached out for a pile of printouts, taking a deep breath:

"What kind of other creatures are coming? Are they dangerous?"  
"How would I know that?" Loki huffed. "You are the one who should know what the tales of Midgard speak of."

Julia pressed fingers to her temples and howled:  


"Please be cooperative! It’s not been an easy day for me… I need to know what we shall work with!"  
"Most magical beings are... unfriendly. If primitive, they shall follow instincts just like animals. They see a human being as source of food and magical energy to thrive on. They are easy to trace because hunger overwhelms their mind and they do not act with caution. If intelligent they would have an agenda of their own, either being in service of more powerful beings, or acting on their own. In this case the creatures are rather difficult to find and more difficult to neutralize."  
"But you tracked Krampus down."  
"I did," Loki said, and she could hear pride in his voice.  
"So, assuming that we shall have to find and contain more of them, would you have resources to do it?"  
"I suppose," he replied without certainty.  
"Excellent." Julia nodded. "Therefore, what I want you to do is cage, kill, or in any other possible way get rid of magical creatures which can be harmful and dangerous to normal people."  
"You want me to serve you?!" Loki’s voice sounded deceptively calm but Julia felt like there was a storm coming.  
"Well… I would prefer to call it cooperation..."  
"You want _me_ to _serve_ you, Midgardian witch… You want me to hunt beasts on your demand as if I were a hound of yours?! King of Asgard shall not obey a weak pathetic creature like you! When I step out of this trap I shall destroy you..."  
"If," Julia interrupted him.

Loki frowned with a puzzled expression on his face.

"It is not _when_ you get out, it is _if_   I let you go. But _if_   you keep on threatening me like this, I swear to God I will fucking lock you up here, I will board up all doors and windows and I will burn this fucking place down!" Julia did not even notice when she raised her voice, losing control. All the misfortunes of the last two days combined together with intoxication and a real-life Loki in her kitchen finally resulted in a massive emotional breakdown. She felt her hands shake and clenched them into fists. Loki seemed to be surprised with her sudden outburst, and she actually was surprised herself.

Julia took a deep breath and went on.

"You have exactly one hour left till midnight, and you have no choice but to do what I want. So?"

The girl waited, breathing heavily. There was so much hatred and fury in Loki’s gaze that she could almost feel it with her skin.

"What are your conditions? Speak!" Loki finally demanded.  
"We will prevent magical beings from hurting people. Every time there is a creature to contain, we act as a team. Whatever needs to be done, we do it together. We use all available resources to control the situation and prevent any casualties and unrest. We also share all possible information in order to have clarity and a full overview of the situation. Every decision you take within this project is first consulted with me, and vice versa."

Loki frowned but said nothing. Julia caught a breath.

"As I said before, if I can assist you with your end of the world problem, I will. So if you decide you need my help, the same rules apply." She made notice of a small nod and went on. "Actually, if all of this is related, then the end of the world is not only your problem… We also need to decide how much time we plan to spend on these activities. I suggest one regular meeting per week in order to share the status. Do you have any preferences?..."  
"Wednesday."  
"All right, Wednesday evenings work for me," Julia nodded. "But in case there is an emergency, the schedule does not apply, no matter if it is weekend or Monday morning. Deal?"  
"Deal." Loki replied.  
"What about the duration of the agreement?" Julia crossed out a line on a printout and raised her eyes. "Do you have any idea how long it can take?"  
"It may take your whole short miserable life and even longer." Loki drawled scornfully.

Julia sighed. She disapproved of her own idea nearly as strongly as her captive, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Is there any standard term? Three months, half a year with possible prolongation?"  
"Twelve months and a day is the shortest I have heard of for a magical contract." Loki said and raised a brow at the sight of the girls hesitation. "But if you believe it is too long…"  
"It is fine." Julia replied firmly. "And there are several more points..."

She cleared her throat before passing to the most important part of the deal - staying alive.

"You won’t take any actions which might cause me physical or mental harm."  
"Deal."  
"You won’t deliberately create situations in which I might suffer physical or mental damage caused by actions of someone else."  
"Deal." He replied after a short pause.  
"And you will not restrain from action in situations where you realize I might be harmed... Which means that you will do your best to protect me, if I am in danger caused by our actions within the contract."  
"Deal…" Loki hissed with irritation.  
"You won’t deliberately create any obstacles for following this contract."

She saw Loki rock from heels to toes a couple of times before answering.

"Deal."  
"After twelve months and a day are over, you will not take revenge for this on me, my family or friends."

Julia heard Loki grind his teeth.

" _Deal_ " He replied after a longer pause. "Is this all?"  
"Yes." Julia said with relief. She felt like she had just tricked a genie from Arab tales - the evil one who would try to turn each your wish upside down in an attempt to cause you suffering. From the irritated look on Loki’s face Julia guessed that for now no loophole could be found.  
"Tell me your name." Loki suddenly demanded.  
"Oh, right… I completely forgot. I am Julia. Nice to meat you. You want a pen to sign this…?"  
"No," Loki said, and a wide wicked grin sharpened his features. "One does not sign a magical contract of this kind with a _pen_."

Loki’s smile gave Julia a really bad feeling. Suddenly the skin on her left wrist got strangely itchy, but before she could do anything, Loki spoke.

Julia squeaked at a sharp pain at the back of her head. A strange burning sensation ran down her spine like an electric discharge and concentrated around her left wrist. The girl cringed and screamed in pain and fear, as the first red mark appeared on her skin. The air around her vibrated with a low sound of Loki’s voice reciting words of a magic spell.  
"Stop," she whined as another burn marked the skin. In front of her Loki fell on his knees shaking, suffering the same pain as she did. His lips were silently moving as the chant went on, and when Julia locked her eyes with his, she suddenly heard his voice inside her head.

It was loud as a bell, louder than her own screams. And if at first she could not understand a word of a strange language he spoke, now the words Loki recited were clear, each of them ringing inside her head.

_"Come witness my words, all the living and the dead of the Nine Realms. I hereby promise to abide the agreement made with the Midgardian maid named Julia. For a year and a day, we shall be bound, or I shall burn. For a year and a day, I shall follow her and protect her, or I shall burn. The seal of fire is unbreakable, the shackles binding me shall not be removed, unless the maid commands so. So speak I, Loki Laufeyson, the Allfather of Asgard, and my word is solid and my promise is true..."_

She could not tell anymore, if it was her screaming - or both of them, but for sure the monotonous voice reciting the spell further did not belong to Loki, curled up on the floor in the kitchen corner.

It all ended abruptly, or maybe she fainted for a moment, but all of a sudden Julia realized the voice was gone, and silence fell upon the place. The girl got up from the floor on third attempt, holding on to the kitchen counter. Sweat and tears were running down her face, her hand felt as if someone has peeled the skin off. She glanced down on her wrist and quickly looked away: the skin from the wrist and up to the elbow was covered in fresh deep burns, forming a strange runic pattern which branded her. The world around Julia made a swirl as she felt the smell filling the kitchen: sweat and burned flesh.

"The fuck was this…?" Julia wheezed out, trying not to vomit.

In response she heard a hoarse laughter. Loki was leaning over the wall, his hair a mess and his face wet with sweat. Julia made a step forward with shaky feet and nearly fell down, and at the sight of that the man let out another short laugh.

" _This_ was a binding spell." He spoke with effort. "An unbreakable vow to seal the magical agreement which shall bind us till death. Painful, isn’t it?"  
"You could have told me…"  
"Why would I?" Loki gave her a cruel smile. "You looked like you knew what you were doing. Besides, you should get used to the painful experiences, for much worse things await you..."

He stepped forward and reeled, but stood back straight and continued, each word filled with cold fury:

"You think you outsmarted me, with this little contract of yours?! Even if I shall protect you as you forced me to, you have no chance to survive through this year. You have crossed paths with one beast - believe me, there are ones you would not imagine in your worst nightmares, and I hope to see them tear you to pieces. For me a year is nothing, I can take my time and wait. And if by any miracle you get out of this alive, I swear I will not rest until I find a way to make you pay. I will destroy you, and you will pray you have never been born. I will have my revenge for this humiliating slavery, Midgardian witch. Remember this."

With messy hair and a grimace of pain on a pale face, Loki looked like an ancient demon. And Julia believed every word he said. Hopefully, by the end of the year she will get eaten alive by a magical creature, not leaving Loki a chance to take his anger out on her.

Julia approached him and carefully swept the line of salt with her right boot, setting Loki free:

"I look forward to our cooperation."


	4. The Countdown

Julia squeezed her eyes shut, as Loki walked past her so fast she felt a blow of wind move her hair. Surprised, she watched him sweep off all objects from the kitchen counter.  
  
"What… What are you doing?" Julia asked cautiously, as Loki kept opening one cupboard after another.  
"I am trying to get the beast on time." He said and threw a deep porcelain bowl on the counter.  
"How would rampaging my kitchen help?" Julia felt sick and angry, and her burns hurt. The world made a swirl as she walked to the fridge holding on to the wall and took out a pack of ice cubes to cool the burns.  
  
With one fast move Loki grabbed the package.  
  
"Give me this. And get a mirror."  
  
The man squeezed the ice package in his palms and shook it energetically, swearing under his breath. Julia felt her jaw drop when she saw the skin on his palms turn from pale to blue for a short moment.  
  
"Big one? Or small one?" She asked.  
"Doesn't make a difference. Move fast."  
  
_It was exactly seven past eleven._  


Julia rushed towards the hallway as fast as she could and took off a decorative mirror from the wall. Loki was leaning over the counter and glanced at her impatiently as she approached him.  
  
"You did not use a mirror the first time," Julia noticed.  
"Thanks to you I am very time-pressed now." Loki responded with irritation. "So be quiet."  
  
He fetched a small vessel out of a waist pouch and shook it over a bowl filled with water, generously spilling violet powder everywhere around.  
  
"What is this? Why are you doing different magic?" Julia whispered, leaning over the bowl.  
  
Loki did not respond, dipping his fingers into the water and starting a small swirl. He drew a complex runic symbol on the mirror surface with his index finger, and lowered the object into the bowl.  
  
"What was the ice for?" Julia tried her luck again, and again Loki ignored her.  
  
And then he suddenly cringed and pressed his left hand to his chest. Julia jumped back. Loki glanced at her and huffed.  
  
"It must be the _sharing information_ part of our deal," he uttered with annoyance. "Listen, then. The barrier blocked my magic, so I needed stimulation to get it back fast. This is regarding question three. And as for questions one and two: this time I have less time to catch the trail of the portal, so I shall use a less complex searching spell… and an eye witness."  
  
"Don't touch me!" Julia squealed as he suddenly rushed forward and firmly pressed to her temples fingers covered in violet fluid.  
"Be still," Loki commanded. Julia jerked, locked her eyes with his and suddenly felt like she was falling into a deep dark tunnel.  
  
Julia gasped and jumped up from the floor. She was on the stairs again. The house shook, she felt sharp pain at the back of her head from the hit. “Haig, earthquake!” - she heard her own voice and then, like an echo, she repeated the words, getting up and rushing forward to the living room. Her movements were slow, and the whole world was misty. The light blinded her the same as before, as she stopped in the doorway and witnessed the tall figure of the beast slowly turn to face her. The girl raised her hand to cover the face, but some other force changed the direction of her movement, and instead Julia reached forward, towards the blue vortex behind the Krampus. The vapor came out of creature’s nostrils and froze in the air in form of a small cloud of mist. Julia pushed it away and noticed that her fingers were too long, and the hand too big, but in a flash everything was back to normal again. She lingered.  
  
"Concentrate." She heard herself speak, but the voice belonged to Loki.  
  
Julia looked back and saw her real self in front of Krampus, where she was supposed to be. The books from the shelve were now floating very slowly in the white mist towards her head. And once again, Julia felt as if someone else took control over her body. She turned back to the portal and dipped her fingers into the swirl, and then with a step back waved her hand in the air, drawing a shining blue line in the air. When the circle was complete, it flashed white for a moment, and then shone with clear blue.  
  
"Now we need to go," Loki spoke and took fingers away from her head.  
  
Julia blinked, focusing her eyes on Loki’s face in front of her. She looked down on her hands to check if they were her own. A portal, blue puddle of light, was floating in the air. Loki walked towards it and turned to Julia. His tall slim figure lighted up by the glimmer of the portal looked absolutely surreal in a wrecked kitchen of a single-family house - so surreal that for a moment Julia was sure she will wake up from this dream. Loki jerked his head impatiently, urging Julia to follow, and the curved horns of his helmet reflected the light.  
  
_It was exactly twenty past eleven._  


Julia cautiously approached him.  
  
"Where are we going exactly?" She asked, studying the blue swirl with suspicion.  
"We shall see," Loki replied and stepped forward, diving into the portal. Julia took a deep breath and jumped after him.  
  


\---------- 

Some time ago it has become a trend to take job interviews on a brand new level by asking irrelevant questions such as - what would you do if you were a fruit in a blender? Julia had no idea what she would do, but she totally knew what it would feel like. Like _this_.  
  
The world was swirling and spinning like crazy, the streams of air tossing and throwing Julia from side to side. A blow of wind hit her in the chest so strongly she lost her breath. And so she landed on her knees, suffocating and dizzy, on a small stone arena open to all four winds.  


Julia whined and tears filled her eyes as she felt the sharp pain in the knees. She gasped and coughed, finally able to breathe again. Through the veil of tears she caught sight of Loki whose superhero landing went way better than hers, standing tall in front of an altar composed out of rough-hewn grey stones. On the altar she saw Haig’s body, small and curled up and still. And on the opposite side of the arena, in the swirl of snow and darkness, she discerned the beast.  
  
Loki pulled a dagger out of a scabbard so fast that it almost looked as if the weapon jumped into his hand. The Krampus let out a high-pitched shriek, and Loki rushed forward, leaping over the stone altar with the unconscious child on it.  


They clashed in the middle of the arena. Loki doubled over to dodge a deadly blow of the creature's right paw, at the same time slashing the monster’s hip with his dagger. Krampus howled and jumped back, but without hesitation raced forward at the attacker and tried to reach the man with a fast swipe of long sharp claws. Loki threw himself on the ground, rolled closer towards the altar to escape another hit, and then rushed to a side, flanking Krampus in order to strike again. This time the beast avoided the blow, turned and all of a sudden aimed at Loki with its horns, trying to ram him in a goat-like manner. The man leaped over the creature which was standing on all four now, and landed at the very edge of the stone arena. He got hit by a strong blast of wind, but balanced out.  
  
Both Loki and the monster moved with such inhuman agility and speed that their combat looked like a deadly well-staged dance. Julia snapped out of the trance and darted towards Haig. She tried to shake him awake, ducking down every time the fight got any closer to her. The boy remained unconscious, so she pulled the unexpectedly heavy body off the stone podium and dragged Haig closer to the portal. At this moment Krampus bunted Loki in the chest with the horns. The hit was so strong that the man flew across the stone arena and crashed with his back on one of the damaged columns surrounding the arena. He gasped and collapsed heavily on the ground. It was unbelievable how one could survive such a hit - yet the girl noticed Loki move and try to get up. The worst aspect of his temporary unavailability was that she was standing right in front of the infuriated beast with no one to help her.  
  
Julia screamed and ducked and the long sharp claws scratched the rock right where her head was a moment ago, spalling off tiny pieces of stone. She curled up by the wall, pressing the child’s body to her chest. The monster screeched and aimed another blow at her, and the girl squeezed her eyes shut at the sight of the huge paw above her head.  
  
The deadly hit that should have crushed her skull never came. The creature squeaked and gave a spasmodic jerk, sharply turning to Loki who backed off to the altar stones, his dagger now covered in blood up to the crossguard. Krampus leaped straight at the man, stretching the claws at his chest - a hit no one could avoid from a distance so short. Loki seemed to realize that, because instead of retreating he rushed forward as well, sliding on his back under the creature’s belly. Huge paw missed his head only by a couple inches and scratched one of the horns on the helmet; Loki groaned as claws dug into his forearm, and darted up from the stone floor, stabbing the beast with the dagger and firmly gripping its long fur with a spare hand. Roar of Krampus turned to a screech, the being clumsily landed on its side with a long blade in the chest. Creature twitched convulsively, dragging Loki on the floor by its side. For a couple more minutes the man grappled with the beast, digging the weapon deeper and deeper between its ribs, until Krampus ceased to rush.  
  
Julia watched Loki rise from the floor with effort, slowly pull the knife out of the creature’s belly. He clung to the altar stones in order to get up, panting heavily. His cloak was torn and stained, the right sleeve was all black and wet with blood.  
  
"He is not moving!" Julia gave Loki a helpless look. Now that the adrenaline started coming down, the girl was shaking in the icy wind and could not feel her fingers. Haig’s body was unnaturally cold. She grabbed the boy’s shoulders and shook him, but his head bounced limply.  


"Help!" Julia begged, feeling the tears freeze on her cheeks. Loki frowned and opened his mouth to tell off his importunate companion, but the desperation in the girl’s voice made him approach the only spot of the plato covered from the cold wind by a tall rock, where Julia sat holding the boy. He grunted and kneeled down, brushing a hand over the child’s forehead. Julia watched flashes of blue glow under his palm.  


"He is alive."  
Loki lifted the child’s body unexpectedly gently and walked towards the portal, still open at the edge of stone platform. He reeled a little, but did not shiver from cold wind as if he was not even feeling it. Getting up from the stone floor, Julia quickly looked around. The stone plato was perfectly round, with four columns symmetrically framing an entrance into the mountain. Now the passage was blocked by stones and ice. The whole platform looked severely damaged by time, winds and avalanches. She cautiously peeked over the edge - through the darkness and gusts of wind and snow the girl could hardly see remote mountain peaks.  


She hurried up after Loki to the glimmer of the portal, anticipating an equally rough trip home.  


\----------  


_It was exactly forty-eight past eleven._  


This time Julia landed on her feet and at once rushed towards the cell phone she left on the kitchen counter. Waiting for operator’s response on emergency line, she ran towards the front door, but stopped with the hand on the knob. Knocking on neighbors’ door right now was definitely not a good idea. Julia headed back.  
  
"I did not call the police yet. I can’t just tell everyone that I found the boy."  
"That is because you did not find him, I did," she heard Loki’s tired voice from the dark living room and hit the lights. He already put the boy on the couch and was leaning over the wall.  
"And this is one more thing I can’t tell anyone. Because you don’t exist." Julia observed the boy, his skin unnaturally white. "He isn’t dead, right?"  
  
Loki shook his head and knelt by the child.  
  
"No, not dead. Cursed."  
  
He pressed both palms to Haig’s chest and Julia saw the same flash of blue as before. For some time Loki did not move, with his eyes shut, and then he sharply thrust out the right hand clenching the fist, as if trying to catch something invisible in the air.

" _Dauður anda,_  
_Nú verður þú að flýja_  
_Því að þú hefir fundist._  
_Skila dauðlega sál baka_  
_Að ríki það kom frá_ …"*

Julia watched and listened to Loki’s indistinct whisper, a flow of unknown words mixing up into a bizarre chant. First silent, his voice grew stronger with every second, and the sparks under his hands flashed brighter every time he pressed the palms to the boy’s chest.

" _Slepptu lifandi veru af banvænu klóm þínum!_ "* He cried out, breathing heavily, and all of a sudden ceased to speak.

Julia took a tiny step forward when Loki opened his eyes and looked right through her, the pupils big and shining with red. The girl froze where she was. Loki blinked, eyes turning human green again. His shoulders shook, and the Asgardian nearly collapsed on the floor by the couch.  
  
And then Haig moved. Julia let out a loud insane cry, rushing forward, and watched the boy’s skin turn pink. His chest was rising and falling as if he was asleep.  


It probably was a good moment to collapse on the floor and sob, and let out the adrenaline, and call it a happy ending. Julia hasn’t slept properly for the last three days; she got hit on the head, burnt, and traveled in a magical swirl to hell-knows-where. She wished so desperately now that this surreal spin would be just a weird dream, but her head hurt, and her burnt wrist hurt, and there was real-life Loki in her living room, and she had to somehow explain to everyone how Haig made it back to her house.  
  
"Will he remember what happened to him?" She asked quietly, clutching the back of the sofa just to keep herself up.  
  
Loki was still kneeling by the child as he raised his eyes at Julia.  
  
"I will make sure he does not."  
"Thank you." Loki raised a brow as the girl voiced her gratitude, and his expression turned wicked, but he said nothing. And Julia was grateful for this as well.  


Julia threw a cover over the sleeping child and hobbled around the couch to sit by his side. Loki crouched by the coffee table, his cloak and helmet on the floor beside him, and rolled up the sleeve to examine the long deep scratches.  


"You want a bandage to patch it up?" Julia asked him.  
"No," he snapped.  
  
She watched Loki tear a strap off his long tunic and wrap up his forearm, swearing unclearly under his breath. Without his signature horned helmet and a knee-long heavy cloak Loki still looked dangerous and distant, but more human. And certainly very tired.  
  
The story she came up with was not the perfect one, but it was the best she could compose in such limited time.  


"Now, how is that? Haig’s father, a successful banker, would naturally have a couple of ill-wishers among local entrepreneurs, who would not hesitate to kidnap his only child on Christmas in order to make the family leave the city. So, the unknown criminal hired a couple of low-lifes who knocked me out and scared to the point I started seeing monstrous goats. They held the boy in an abandoned hovel nearby, but one of the locals noticed some suspicious folks sneaking around and called the police. However, no evidence could be found, so the kidnappers could not be identified; therefore Martha and Oliver decided to move out of the city and return to Austria immediately..."  
"Bullshit." Loki rendered his verdict and pulled the cloak on, "I would not believe this crazy story of yours."  
"Come on, it can’t be that bad!" Julia rubbed her forehead. "Besides, I thought that you can make everyone believe whatever story I make, isn’t that so? We cannot keep Haig in my living room for days and wait until I find inspiration and polish the details!"  
  
The man sighed, acknowledging her point:  
  
"That will do. Who do I have to convince?"  
"Just a couple of people: Haig’s parents, the police - that would be eight, nine, maybe fifteen…" Julia hesitated, counting. "Yep, Haig’s parents and the police department. I will make a list..."  
"It sounds like a couple dozens for me," Loki pointed out in a menacing tone. "And mind control takes a lot of effort!"  
"I… I know, and I am sorry, but it is important. It is better than a crazy story about a goat-maniac anyway! And… and if I will be the one to bring the boy to the police I can end up convicted, which would mean that you deliberately take actions which might result in my imprisonment…" Julia hunched up on the couch and fell silent, as Loki approached her and leaned forward, towering over her. The girl bravely held his heavy stare.  
"What an ingenious interpretation!" He exclaimed with false admiration. "But you are taking it too far. I will do as you claim this time, but remember that abusing the rules of our agreement will not increase your chances of surviving. Take it as a… _friendly advise._ "  
  
Loki walked towards the sleeping child and picked him up. Only after he approached the front door Julia finally breathed out. She felt like a sapper after disarming a landmine.  
  
\-------  
  
After unnaturally heavy Christmas frost and snowfalls came the thawn. It was a beautiful Sunday morning; birds were singing like crazy, fooled by the warm sunshine. Julia stood in a deep puddle in her rubber boots and enjoyed the warmth. Her black eye was almost gone; her burns had completely and magically healed overnight, leaving red scars to remind that the contract and the night escapade were real. The neighbours were packing up. Haig approached the fence separating their yards, with two scarfs wrapped around his neck and a huge parka on.  
  
"You look like a puffy marshmallow," Julia smiled, and the boy rolled his eyes. "Feeling better?"  
"I’m fine already, but mum won’t listen. And I cannot leave the yard at all because they are worried."  
  
Julia shivered slightly. The story worked out just fine. The local police owed the unexpected retrieval of the unharmed boy to an alert dog-owner who called the station suspecting a shooting-gallery in an abandoned burned-out hovel. Haig was found there sleeping, blood tests showed traces of sleeping pills - Julia had no idea how Loki made it happen. The child remembered nothing and got out of the mix with pneumonia and a couple of bruises. And it seemed that her crazy testimony about a demon-goat was wiped out from police protocols, because no one contacted Julia since Haig had been found.  
  
"Can you keep a secret?" Haig asked, lowering his voice.  
  
Julia nodded, leaning over the fence.  
  
"I think I saw a Christmas elf. A really big one. Mum doesn’t believe me, though, she says it is impossible..."  
  
Julia snorted. _Loki the Christmas elf._ Haig watched her expectantly, so she retained the most serious expression on her face:  
  
"Well, I believe you. I mean, it is Christmas after all, everything is possible on Christmas. Actually, I think I might have seen one as well," Julia winked at Haig. "Tall, dark-haired, dressed in green..."  
"I knew it! I will miss you so much," Haig sighed and bent in a coughing fit.  
  
Julia felt her eyes get wet and handed the boy a big box over the fence:  
  
"I will miss you too. Have a safe flight and get well soon."  
"Is this what I think it is…?" Haig squeaked, impatiently tearing a bow off the box. Julia smiled widely and blinked away the tears. Thinking rationally, her chances to make it to the end of the contract alive were very low. Let her army of Batman collection figures serve a good purpose.  
  
She made the right decision, and it was the only thing that mattered right now. And she still had two days till the first scheduled Wednesday meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1*  
> \- Unliving spirit,  
> Now you must flee  
> For you have been discovered.  
> Return the mortal soul back  
> To the realm it came from…
> 
> 2*  
> Release the living creature of your deadly claws!


	5. Sweet Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _So… it means, that you actually cannot do me anything, just trying to scare me?" Julia asked him. Promising news._   
>  _Loki huffed and leaned forward:_   
>  _"Oh no, I can do anything I want. The point is whether it is worth of a punishment I shall get afterwards._

Julia stood by the water dispenser and watched the printer spit out one sheet after another. It was the lazy Christmas afterparty-time when the office was nearly empty due to annual leaves. Not a single printout was work-related, but Julia considered her current out of office activities to be a solid excuse.

The two days till Wednesday passed in a flash. She had about two thousand years of Loki’s biography to catch up on. She had legends and she had films, she also had a million questions. And going to bed on Tuesday, as much as nervous and cautious about the upcoming encounter, Julia was overwhelmed with excitement. One does not get to know a Norse God every day.

Apart from her partner’s life story, Julia was troubled by questions of more practical nature. She had no idea how exactly one hunts evil magical creatures. Should she take Sam and Dean from Supernatural as example? They had a cool retro muscle-car and a playlist of awesome soundtracks; Julia had a fifteen-year old Volkswagen Polo which required a respray. Does it count?

Eight hours in the office felt like eight years and Julia nearly broke into a run when she finally scanned the badge by the door and headed towards the car. She still had to stop by the hardware store for grout and paint to fix the wall in her living room.  When exactly does Wednesday _evening_ begin? What if she is already late?!

Julia parked the car, pulled a heavy package out of the trunk and ran towards the front door, trying to steer clear of puddles. She nearly slipped on the stairs, turned round and rushed back for the purse and keys left at the passenger seat. This time she flawlessly made it up the stairs and tried to catch balance on high heels, holding a bag of cement and struggling to fit the key in the hole.

"Shall I return tomorrow?" a bored voice said behind her back.

Julia jumped up and turned to see Loki leaning over the porch railing. She finally pushed the door open:

"God, you scared me… How long have you been waiting?"

_"Too long."_

Not bothered by lack of invitation, the man proceeded into the house and at once into the living room.

"I knew we forgot to define the exact hour… Same time next week?" Julia shouted from the hallway, kicking off the boots. She ran into the living room right on time to witness a small nod.

Loki stood with his hands behind the back, wrapped in a woolen grey coat which looked only a bit too refined and decorated than standard men's’ apparel. No helmet, hair brushed back - if they had crossed paths on a busy street Julia wouldn’t have noticed anything abnormal. The girl awkwardly shifted on her feet:

"Would you like to sit down? Please..."

Loki lingered but after a moment of hesitation approached an armchair in the corner. Julia breathed out and sat on the couch with a pen and a pile of papers. She had no idea where to begin.

Loki seemed well aware of that because with a small smirk he settled himself comfortably in the armchair, stretching crossed legs forward and suddenly taking all the space in the room. He rested his chin on a hand and fixed his eyes on Julia.

The girl cleared her throat and opened her mouth. Loki kept staring. Julia nervously folded a paper in her fingers.

"All right.. I have scheduled this meeting in order to discuss the details of future cooperation," she recited a standard opening phrase which always helped her out at formal meetings at work. "In order to streamline the process, I will need you to respond to a few questions regarding the ongoing situation..."

Loki remained silent and did not even move. Julia took the silence as lack of objections and glanced at her list.

"It has been four days, but I haven’t yet heard of any unrest or unexplained catastrophe. And I check the news all the time. You said magical creatures are coming…  Where are they?" 

"Give them some time, they shall come," Loki assured her. 

"How will I know?" 

"Just like you said," the man leaned forward a bit. "Inexplicable events, strange shadows in forests, whole villages going mad with no reason… When the hunt for humans starts you shall hear no other news but of missing or dead."

Julia shivered.

"What should we do, when it starts?"

Loki raised a brow:

"This discussion seems rather amusing to me. You were the one so willing to impose this slavery on me, yet you ask me for guidance now?" 

"Yes; and _no_ \- it is not slavery." 

"It is, because I do not wish to bother myself with your problems, and yet I have to." 

"I see your point," Julia sighed. "And I am really sorry to cause you trouble."

Loki gave a quiet laugh.

"You _shall be_ sorry, I promise you this. What else you want to know?" 

"Oh, quite a lot of things actually," Julia bravely ignored a threat and sat cross-legged. "Is there any way to prevent casualties? Can we somehow foresee what kind of a creature wakes up and where?"

Loki steepled his fingers, a line crossing his forehead.

"This is unlikely to happen. I could trace Krampus only after he took the child and opened a portal to the place of sacrifice - and it took me nearly two days." Julia leaned forward and nodded, encouraging Loki to continue. "I will try to explain. Each living being which possesses magic has a pattern, a trail which follows it wherever it goes." 

"Like a scent?" The girl asked. 

"Yes, very similar, and others see and feel it. The trail of magic Krampus leaves is very strong and well-defined, but Krampus is no ordinary monster which would haunt the neighbourhood. Those less powerful who will cause more casualties among common people are not so easy to trace until first blood is shed. A secure way to find them is by a trail of victims they leave behind." 

"Fine, and if they are traced, can we persuade them to stop, or..?" 

"Most of them are like animals, and no sane man shall negotiate with a wild boar. It is safer to kill every being which causes trouble," Loki shrugged. 

"How do you kill them?" 

"There are many ways." The man spoke. "Those of flesh and blood can be slayed with a simple knife, though one needs to withstand their magic and claws in order to approach the creatures close enough. There are many other options like magic spells, runes and potions which cause them harm. And if an entity has no bodily form, a material weapon shall not weaken it." 

"Is there a catalogue I can look into?" 

Loki tilted his head to a side:

"A… catalogue?!"

"Oh, well, a roster, a database of some kind, where I can find details about every creature? I bet you have one." 

"There is no such thing as database…" Loki looked puzzled and amused at the same time. "I have come across some records in books of magic spells, and there are certainly chronicles which mention creatures inhabiting Midgard alongside men... Actually, I could bring you one to take a look. But the best way to learn about beasts is from tales of the old times." 

"Just... read fairy tales?!" Julia huffed.  "This is not serious at all!" 

"You have any better suggestions?" Loki sighed and studied the room with a bored look on his face. Julia frowned. 

"No, I don’t…" The man sneered and began to raise from the armchair. Julia jumped up. "But I have more questions for you! Actually, _about_ you."

Loki flopped back into the armchair:

"What if I do not respond?" 

"I thought we had agreed to share information," Julia reminded him. Loki rolled his eyes. 

"Would you like me to share with you my childhood memories?" 

"No, thank you, I have no interest in that." Julia was still holding on, but Loki’s reluctant and vicious attitude was making it harder and harder for her to stay polite. "But I have come across a contradiction I want to understand. You are supposed to be almost indestructible - it took a beating from Hulk to knock you out; yet it took just one hit on the head from me. Am I a... superhero?!" 

" _What?!_ No, you are not. Some magical spells drain so much energy that even a small impact is enough to fall unconscious." Loki responded with disgust. Julia sighed, a faint childish hope for a touch of something wonderful and magical disappeared. On the contrary, at the sight of her rounded shoulders Loki curved his lips in a devilish smile. "Is there anything wrong?! You thought you were special, didn’t you? You _hoped_ to be special, well let me assure you, little Midgardian, you are nothing but a primitive ordinary creature, weak and unintelligent, like all of your kind."

Julia pursed her lips and furiously crumpled a printout in her hands.

"Surely, forcing you into this _slavery_   you dislike so much was no sign of intelligence..." She drawled and threw a paper ball behind her back. Loki clenched his jaw and his expression became gloomy. "Besides, I wonder how your well-developed society hasn’t gone extinct yet, if you go through such pain and agony to seal every single deal."

Loki leaned forward in the armchair.

"This way of sealing an agreement is not commonly used by the folk of Asgard, on the contrary it is very rare."

Julia shook her head:

"Then why on Earth would you choose it?!"

Loki hesitated. He fixed his eyes on his left hand, part of red burn mark peeking from under the sleeve of grey coat. His expression stiffened.

"I must have not considered well the long-term consequences of my choice." Loki finally spoke with reluctance, unwilling to acknowledge the flaws of a rash decision. "I wished to teach you a lesson for holding me back. So I chose the most physically damaging and painful spell I know in order to seal the contract." 

"So… what if we had just signed the agreement with a pen? What if I had just let you go as we first agreed?"

Loki pondered for a moment.

"Most probably I would have snapped your neck once freed of the magical circle," he replied emotionlessly with a shrug. "You were a delaying nuisance."

The part with snapping her neck was unsettling, let along the calm way Loki spoke of ending her life. Yet the part with a several thousand year old maniactaking an emotional and irrational decision was suspicious.

"Fine, all cards on the table!" Julia nervously brushed  fingers through her hair. "You can’t just give up twelve months of your life in order to burn me with a magical spell! Do you actually have it all planned and at the end of the way you will sacrifice me to the evil forces of darkness? Come on, tell me, I don’t think learning the hard truth will change anything for me…"

Loki looked confused.

"I must confess I had no such plan, I did not lie to you now. But the idea sounds interesting..."

_You must be kidding me._

"Though I would not dare to leave you disappointed.  If you strongly wish to alter our deal, just tell me." Loki purred and narrowed his eyes. "Not that leaving the agreement unchanged would mean you get out of this alive..."

"I’m good," the girl replied hesitantly. "No changes needed."

In this case, praise the Lord for this awful burn mark on her hand. Praise the Lord for irrational emotional decisions of Norse Gods. One more point to add to her list of lifehacks: never go out in new shoes without patches in your bag. Always mute your line on conference calls. And never sign a contract while angry.

And yet, the contract. She has already sorted out short-sleeved shirts and pushed them to the back of the wardrobe to never wear again. Julia waved her left hand in the air.

"Let’s discuss _this_ now. How exactly does our contract work?" 

"As you have witnessed already, the agreement we made is secured from breach by a seal of fire. If any of the conditions is violated, the one responsible shall be punished. The stronger the breach, the more severe the punishment shall be." 

"Can the agreement be deceived?" 

"You mean, tricked or fooled? Yes, there is always a loophole to be found in every deal. Besides, its reaction depend a lot on our interpretation of every situation." 

"You speak, as if the contract had a conscious of its own," Julia frowned. 

"Because it does." Loki shrugged. "It is difficult to give a proper description to the entity which watches over our actions right now, but it would catch out every moment when you are in pain, or at the verge of going crazy, or in danger... And if it decides that I am responsible, I shall suffer pain." 

"So… it means, that you actually cannot do me anything, just trying to scare me?" Julia said. Promising news.

Loki huffed and leaned forward:

"Oh no, I can do anything I want. The point is whether it is worth of a punishment i shall get afterwards." 

"But you can’t kill me," the girl straightened her back and felt her lips curve into a victorious smile. 

"Most probably the agreement would punish me with death if I slaughtered you," Loki agreed. "Yet there are things worse than dying. You shall see for yourself."

The feeling of having the high ground vanished as Julia locked her eyes with his. The emerald green was sucking her in like a poisonous swamp. A wave of panic swept over the girl; creeps on the back of her neck and a pounding heart - and suddenly she was surrounded by darkness. Darkness was sticking to her skin like tar, drowning her in an abyss where the daylight does not reach. And then something gave her a push, and cold fingers clenched on her neck. Julia yelped and jerked, trying to free herself from the invisible grip. She gasped, struggling for air. In a moment the clutch on her neck loosened, but the girl froze as she felt a light touch of warm breath on her left temple.

_"I do not need to scare you, you are in panic already. I can sense it. You may not acknowledge it but you know that no one can save you. There is no way to save your Realm either, and the selfless sacrifice you made shall be wasted in vain. I almost feel sorry for you, little Midgardian. You shall see that it was not worthy of the suffering I will make you live through."_

Darkness was gone as unexpectedly as it had appeared. The blouse on her back was wet with sweat and stuck to the spine. Julia was shaking and suffocating, hands clenched into fists. She raised her eyes at Loki. The agreement did not make him howl in pain, wince and curl up in agony. The man sat in front of her in the same relaxed position as before, chin resting on a hand, an unsettling cruel smirk lifting his lips.

"We should call it a night," Loki casually suggested and got up. "Same time next Wednesday?"

Julia was struggling not to burst into tears. She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded firmly, hoping that her voice would not shake.

"Yes. Have a nice week."

Loki turned around and walked out of the room.

"Sleep well," she heard his voice from the hallway before the door shut with a thud.

\----------

_"In exactly seven minutes our contract ends," Loki walked slightly ahead of her through the devastated land, wreck and shards cracking under his feet. "A year and a day have passed."_

_Julia nodded. She was cold. She stumbled upon a concrete block, and a long rod with clods of cement and fitting painfully poked her ankle. There used to be houses here. What has happened, why are they wandering in shambles?_ _Where is everyone?_

_"Do not stay behind," Loki looked over his shoulder but did not stop, striding through the field of ruins. **Crunch, crunch** \- glass and pieces of brick under his feet. "We are almost there."_

**_Where?_ ** _Julia rubbed her ankle and hurried up after Loki. A sense of impending tragedy was arising with every step. They passed by a withered tree, its branches twisted and dead. Julia noted something shiny under a thin layer of snow. A sudden blow of wind raised a white veil of snowflakes in the air, and on the ground the girl saw a scrap of Christmas garland. She felt a knot in the stomach tighten._

_A few steps later Loki stopped and turned towards her, shoulders of his cloak powdered with snow. Soft flakes were falling on them, slowly dancing in the air. The metal of the helmet was shining coldly in the flickering light of a dying street lamp._

_"You should be relieved, for I shall not pursue your family and seek revenge on them." The man spoke quietly and suddenly reached out to Julia. She tried to pull her head away, but Loki’s fingers carefully swept her cheek with a light, almost caring touch.  "Welcome home."_

_"What…" she looked at Loki without understanding. The man stepped away. From the place where they stood and as far as she could see in the gloom, there were ruins: damaged house carcasses, wrecked blocks and bricks, tiles and pieces of glass. And then Julia saw it under the snow and ashes: a white plate with a familiar number and font which used to hang on the front door of her parents' house._

_Her head was empty just like the wasteland around them. Understanding came with a sense of overwhelming, throbbing pain in the chest, as if someone stabbed her with a knife and kept turning it around in the open wound. Julia was running out of air, she made an unsteady step forward and reached out for the plate, but collapsed on her knees. She wiped snow off the small piece of metal with a shaky hand._

_"What did you do to them?" She whispered._

_Loki did not respond. Julia was shivering in the cold wind, pressing the number plate to her chest._ _Loki knelt in front of her._

_"What happened?" The girl sobbed. The man’s figure was blurred through a veil of tears._

_"Nothing that I haven’t warned you about," Loki spoke softly. "I told you that you cannot save them… or anyone._ _And congratulations, you just survived through the contract."_

_"Get fucked!" Julia yelled and tried to hit the man, but he effortlessly caught her by the forearm. The girl whined and tried to pull her hand out of a strong grip, but failed. She jerked and sobbed, the crushing emptiness in the chest a thousand times more painful than the clutches around her hand._

_Loki stood up and with one sharp move pulled her up. Julia was trembling, her legs unsteady and head spinning. With a furious grimace he shook her by the shoulders, and the girl gasped and focused her eyes on his face._

_"You shall never speak to me again like this, if you want to live," he growled._

Julia jumped up in the bed. She focused her eyes on a reflection of street lights across the ceiling. It was nearly three in the morning. The girl sat in the darkness, breathing heavily and trying to snap out of the nightmare, a spin of visions still filling her head and the sharp pain still squeezing her chest like a metal band. _Sleep well_ , Loki said to her before leaving. She could bet this nightmare was entirely his doing. Shall he suffer the punishment now? Or maybe vivid nightmares are not considered to be an impairment of her mental condition? She spent the rest of the night restless, staring into darkness.


	6. Night of the Living Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the first turning point in the relations of protagonists. There is no groundbreaking improvement; cooperation will be difficult and Loki will be stubborn and wicked, but some changes lay ahead :) along with Supernatural-style monster hunting.

Apparently, Loki decided that if he cannot beat her, break her legs or tear her head off, he shall scare her to death and deprive her of sleep instead.

Technically, after waking up she had no broken bones or cuts, so despite the devastating effects of her night torments the spirit watching over their agreement did not treat Loki’s actions as physical or mental harm. She could tell it from the unfortunate fact that Loki would not stop.

Every night the dream was different. She was burned alive and torn to pieces by animals; she was falling into deep ravines and drowning in swamps. Every time Loki watched her die, as she was struggling for air, or trying to escape a pack of wild beasts with sharp claws in the dark forest. He never attacked her himself, but never missed the fun.

After these nightmares Julia would wake up exhausted and stay up for the rest of the night. The pain from cuts and wounds was fading at once after the dream ended, which was good. The other kind of dreams was much worse. After those, the aching throb in the chest would not fade - it remained until the next night with a new horror show to withstand.

In those, her family was either dying or already dead. She saw their bodies massacred, torn apart, cold and still. She held her little brother in the arms and he did not breathe. She watched fire pour from the sky and a long, vulturine shadow of a dragon glide over the streets of London. She witnessed the Thames rise and flood the city, and strange, gnarled shadows come out of the water to feed on what was left. And again, Loki was there to witness her grief.

The dreams never repeated. He indeed had a wild imagination.

Julia studied her tired face in the mirror and groaned. It has been seven nights already and she looked awful. She felt even worse than she looked - today was the first time in the last six months when she decided to take a bus instead of driving to the office.

In the evening the girl sorted her printouts on the table. Coffee was in her cup, coffee was pumping through her veins, her eyes were aching and red. At the sound of a short knock on the front door Julia jumped up.

"You look tired," Loki noticed as he walked past the girl and stopped by the table to put a thick book on it. "You should sleep more."

Julia swore under her breath. Same as previous time, the man sank into the armchair and stretched his legs across the room.

"Will you stop this?" Julia asked sharply, lowering herself on the couch.  
"Stop what?!" Loki raised his eyebrows and a light smile touched his lips.  
"Stop giving me nightmares." Julia suggested and raised her cup to take a sip. "Stop invading my dreams? Stop scaring me?"  
"You say, you dream of me?" Loki pretended to be surprised. "I must say I'm flattered."

The girl sighed. Her hands were already shaking from coffee overdose.

"You know that United Nations regulations consider sleep deprivation a torture?" She asked. "So what you are doing is actually a breach of our contract. Don’t you get busted for this?"

Loki gave her a wide smile.

"Luckily, I don’t. I guess this is the loophole that we spoke about: what you dream of is not real. Besides, how can you tell that I am responsible for your insomnia? I think that your weak mind is simply unable to cope with the complex world around you."  
"I think that you simply are unable to cooperate like a normal person," Julia snapped with irritation.

Loki studied the fabric of his tunic with a bored look on his face:

"Shall we spend the rest of the night discussing our dreams? I can tell you mine, if you want..."

Julia grabbed the book with irritation and took a sip of coffee.

"No, thanks." She turned over a couple of pages: the volume she was holding was old, beautifully decorated with drawings and sketches, and absolutely unreadable. "What is this?"

Loki rolled his eyes.

"You wanted a catalogue. This is the closest I have."  
"Very useful," Julia snapped. "What are these, runes? I can’t understand a word."

She pushed the book across the coffee table towards him. Loki shrugged.

"Too bad. Will it be all for today?" He asked.  
"No," Julia growled. "You still owe me half an explanation."

The girl took out a blank piece of paper and quickly drew on it nine circles one under another, all connected with a straight line.

"These are the Nine Realms," Julia declared and put the sketch on the table. "Midgard is located under Asgard, and all are connected by the Bifrost, or so-called Rainbow Bridge. Is it correct?"

Loki glanced at the paper and with a sigh pulled the armchair closer.

"Not anymore." He said and reached for a pen. "The outline you have drawn is slightly outdated."

Loki crossed out a circle with “M” in the middle and drew one more to the left, so that it would stand out of the line.

"The one firmly placed in the chain is the other Midgard, the one I had visited before. The one outstanding from the cosmic system of the Nine Realms is where you live. I discovered its existence the night before I followed the beast to your house."

Julia frowned.

"So... there are ten Realms instead of nine?"  
"Correct." Loki nodded. "And it seems that until now your land used to be isolated from the rest of Realms."  
"Why?" Julia asked.

Loki hesitated and tapped his fingers on the table.

"The reason is still unclear to me, though I spent some time in an attempt to unravel the cause of changes. The task is not easy because the chronicles and historic records never mention the Second Midgard, or somehow differentiate between the two Realms of same name. It is like it never existed."

Julia yawned and rubbed her forehead.

"What will happen now? Will we be hosting a diplomatic mission from the rest of the community? A welcome notice of some sort?"

Loki chuckled.

"Right now it seems that I am the only one from the rest of the community who is aware of the existence of your Realm."  
"So… no welcome notice, then?" Julia took another sip of coffee.  
"Asgard unites several Realms under its rule and normally seeks alliances with kingdoms of equal power. In all history of Asgardian diplomacy Midgard was never considered as a match, rather a potential colony. So if I ever considered revealing the existence of Asgard to your Realm, it would be for the sole purpose of conquest."

The girl frowned, but Loki continued:

"However, currently I have a different priority than further expansion of the empire. Besides," Loki took a pen again and drew a thin dotted line between Asgard and the circle outstanding from the line, "There is no connection established between your Realm and the rest, and even the eyes of Heimdall do not reach your Realm. I am the only one who knows of you, and I am the only one who has travelled here."

Julia sat cross-legged on the couch and moved to the very edge. The discussion was thrilling and so unusual that the girl forgot about the weariness.

"So, tell me, how did you do it? Was it a huge stream of light falling from the sky? Or did you travel with the help of a portal-puddle?" The girl felt her cheeks get hot with excitement.

Loki looked at her with amusement.

"By stream of light you probably mean Bifrost," he said. "Yes, this is how I descended from Asgard."  
"Impossible!" Julia jumped up and slammed the table with both hands in an agitated manner. "Someone would have noticed that for sure, but there were no news of any falling stars or comets, so you must me lying."

Loki leant forward as well.

"If I wanted any of Midgardians to witness my descend, your whole Realm would have known by now and would kneel to the Allfather." His voice sank to a conspiratorial whisper. "So you would better not tell anyone about our encounter... for now."  
"Imagine me saying: hey everyone, I knocked out Loki of Asgard when he was trying to stop the end of the world! Sorry, I don’t want to end up in a nuthouse!" Julia laughed shortly and then got serious. "Right... Can you tell me what will happen when Ragnarok comes?"

Loki’s smirk from a moment ago vanished to reveal a line crossing his forehead and dark shadows under his eyes. Julia noticed that he actually looked as tired as her.

"Isn’t it obvious?" His voice was low and very serious. "Everything will end."  
"Wait, actually I read all I could find on the concept of Ragnarok. And it is very contradictory… First of all, it is described as something which already took place in the past. So it doesn't hold up." Julia jumped up from the couch and paced the living room, papers in her hands. "Second, in the legend you are actually the one responsible for starting Ragnarok, not the one to stop it! Also, after the events of the Apocalypse, after the Wolf devours the sun and the Norse Gods fight against each other there is a new beginning, because human race survives and they somehow start over. And actually most historians think that the very idea of the Apocalypse is borrowed from Christianity and was not originally a part of Norse mythology. Here, look!"

Loki pulled back a bit as the girl handed him over the papers with a move so abrupt and energetic that a blow of wind moved his hair.

Julia backed off.

"Sorry, with too much coffee I start to rush around."

Loki reached out and took the printouts from her. He stared at them for a couple of seconds and then raised his brows.

"Very useful." Loki drawled, repeating her words from fifteen minutes ago. "I can’t understand a word."

Julia let out a nervous giggle.

"The grammar and vocabulary is so archaic that I needed a Polish translation. English version is too hardcore for me. So, what’d you say?"

Loki sat in silence for some time. As he rose and spoke, his voice was filled with desperation:

"On the last day before the Feast of Summer Solstice a völva came to deliver the prophesy to the royal palace of Asgard. The old woman entered the place and no guards could stand in her way. She strode straight to the Hall of the Kings where the Allfather sits, and she approached the one on the throne. The völva demanded to speak to Odin and so the man called himself, but she knew he was no Odin. And yet she spoke, and she let me see it all. I saw the Wolf and the Sea Serpent, I saw the unliving hordes flood the fertile lands like locust and leave ruins behind. I saw a dark ship glide over the quiet still waters of the sea, and no stars above. The day approaches when you shall see it too; and all the living will witness the end. There will be no new beginning, there will be nothing left."

Julia stood still and silent as he spoke. She did her homework well; within the last two weeks she almost learned the Poetic Edda by heart, which made it easy for her to spot the contradiction between the Norse legends and Loki's version of events. It didn't make any sense: not only Loki was allowed to hear the prophesy meant for Odin's ears, but he was planning to stop the Apocalypse instead of bringing Asgard down. Loki glanced at her and sighed.

"Unfortunately for both of us, you stepped in at the wrong time. Now besides important matters which cannot be neglected I shall waste precious time on the petty problems of your petty Realm. So, you should understand my frustration."  
"What are you planning to do?" Julia asked quietly.

Loki rocked from heels to toes, thinking.

"I need to find a way to stop Ragnarok. I also need to understand whether the return of magic to your Realm is a cause or a consequence of the foreseen events, and if it is important at all."

Julia nodded.

"How can I help?" She asked.  
"I do not see a way that you could be useful," Loki replied after a short pause. "You do not know magic, you are physically weak, as all Midgardians you are so fragile that most of creatures we shall encounter on the way shall kill you as easily as you would kill a fly. I honestly fail to understand why you decided to jeopardise your life for a potentially lost cause."  
"First of all, I am not useless - I am a supervisor. Second, I don’t perceive saving lives as a lost cause. Besides, it seems to me that with you around I might have a chance to get through it."  
"Do not forget that by forcing me into the service you gave me a reason to seek revenge on you. You really think I will leave you be, if you make it through the year?" The curiosity in Loki’s voice was genuine.  
"I sincerely hope that you will get over it. Let’s say that in a situation where I had to choose the lives of many or my own, I chose a lesser evil. And for now the only nasty thing you have done was giving me nightmares, so maybe my future is not so gloomy after all."

On her mentioning the night torments a predatory glimmer sparked in Loki’s eyes again, and a sneer curved his lips.

"Just _please_ don’t do it again…" Julia asked as nicely as she could.  
"Don’t do what?!" With a smile Loki carelessly strode forward, making her back off. "I thought we had determined that your weak mind simply overreacts to additional stress. Don't stay up late."

\----------

_Julia stood by Loki’s side on a deck of a strange vessel. She leant over the board and peeked down at the dark, still water. The boat was gliding over it with no oars or sails, and the material under her fingers did not feel like wood at all._

_Her companion and tormentor was staring blankly into darkness. The murk was so thick Julia could barely see her own fingers. The boat softly moored by a low sloping coast in complete silence._

_Julia anxiously turned towards Loki:_

_"What is this place?"_

_Loki jumped over the sideboard and softly landed on his feet. Without a word he walked forward and sank in the darkness._

_"Hey!" Julia nervously looked down at the distant ground and quickly walked along the board to find a way down._

_A sudden high-pitched shriek made her jump up. Julia peered into the darkness and distinguished some motion in the distance. In the last seven days she died so many times in her sleep that this possibility did not bother her anymore. Hence, the girl threw her legs over the board and bravely jumped down._

_Julia did not know how long she strode forward in the darkness until she unexpectedly bumped into Loki’s back._

_"Sorry," he did not respond, he did not react at all, and the girl cautiously peeked out from behind his back._

_They stood on the very edge of a platform high above the ground. The finely carved stone columns were rising upward into darkness above them. In the distance Julia spotted more buildings - all tall and finesse, with decorative arches and balconies, and the remains of a tall arched bridge - everything falling apart and devastated._

_Whatever this place was it definitely was neither London nor Warsaw._

_The landscape was lit up by a cold glow coming from underneath them. Julia peeked over the edge of the platform: on the ground below a horde was mowing like a dark living river. The dead came in all shapes and forms: men, women and children, both corporeal and shadowy-white. All single-mindedly walked up the broad street towards a remote tall palace crowned with golden domes, Julia and Loki the only living beings as far as the eye could see._

_Loki stood with his fists clenched, shoulders slightly shaking, eyes locked on something in front of him and face wet with tears. The girl discerned it too: a single silver figure was standing on the other side of the fast-moving flow of the dead, glimmering in the dark so brightly Julia could see her clearly. A woman._

_Julia nervously pulled Loki's sleeve, and very slowly he turned his head towards her._

_"It is not my dream!" Julia whispered shocked by a sudden revelation, peering into his eyes full of panic and pain. "It is yours… It is Ragnarok!"_

_Loki blinked, his expression puzzled with no sign of recognition. And then he suddenly snapped out of the strange trance and his face twitched with fury._

_"What are you doing here?" Loki growled and his hand darted towards her neck._  
_"Let go!" Julia coughed out, digging nails into his skin in a desperate attempt to free herself._  
_"Get out!" The man roared. The grip on her neck got stronger, and the last thing Julia saw in the thickening darkness was a pair of hateful eyes shining with crimson.*_

\-----------

"Fuck."

Julia stood in front of the mirror and turned her head around to take a better look at dark violet bruises around her neck. This was new. It must have been her seventh death in a row, but for the first time she had the honours of dying by Loki’s own hand, as well as to witness real-life effects of her dream.

There must have been a glitch in the magic spell Loki used in order to haunt her, Julia had no other explanation for what has happened.

The bruises hurt but right now Julia was not wondering if Loki would get the punishment he deserved.

She saw Asgard, _goddamit_. Dark and destroyed, but real. The view surely was not worth dying for - not even in a dream, but still a nice change from the landscapes of London in ruins.The girl sighed and wrapped a thick scarf around her neck. The air conditioning in the office was set on such low temperature that she could as well sit in a coat all day and no one would bat an eye.

Julia was so exhausted she fell asleep at her desk. The girl woke up to giggles, her back covered in post-its, but the accidental daytime nap actually did her good, because there were no nightmares this time. A coffee to make the effect last, and Julia could properly function again. She could think and make conclusions.

Why did Loki spare her the horror show when she fell asleep at the open space? Either because it was broad daylight and he was busy doing Allfather stuff, or because she was not at home. Julia decided to test both possibilities and to begin with sleeping outside the house.

Her choice fell on the same B-&-B where she had spent the Christmas eve. Julia turned off the lights at exactly 9 P.M. The girl was so tired she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

\----------

 _"Feeling like a change of entourage, aren't we?" Loki was leaning over the wall by the balcony. Julia sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that he would disappear._  
_"Begone," she hissed. Of course he did not vanish. With a sigh Julia sat up on the bed._

_Loki walked around the room, studying the furnishing. He stopped by the nightstand, picked up a book and riffled the pages. Julia watched him with suspicion._

_"What will it be this time?" She murmured, brushing her fingers through her hair. "My dream or yours? Whose dead relatives are we going to visit this time? I like Asgard. Is it always so damaged, or only when you are in town?"_

_Loki frowned at her mentioning the visions of devastated Asgard not intended for her eyes, and shrugged, eyes still in the book._

_"You want me to ruin the surprise? I wouldn't do it."_  
_"Then bring it on, baby," Julia commanded and fell back on the pillow. "It is just a dream, anyway."_

_Nothing happened. Julia waited with her eyes shut for five minutes at least, until she was too anxious to just stay in bed and wait. The girl cautiously lowered her feet on the floor. In the darkness red polish on her toes seemed black._

_Julia walked around the hotel room, listening carefully to the sound of her own steps on the carpet finishing. The light switch did not work when she tried it. Julia raised her face to the ceiling and sighed._

_"Do you realize that if tomorrow I fall asleep at the wheel and die, you will be responsible?"_

_She did not expect to receive an answer, but she did. A light blow of wind moved the curtains and Loki revealed himself, sitting on a chair by the window and rocking on its two rear legs._

_"Groundless accusation, I must say..." Julia hoped that he would collapse on the floor with the stupid chair, but Loki seemed to have flawless balance. "If you make a decision to travel in your own vehicle while being tired and sleepy, you are the one responsible for the consequences."_

_The girl sat on the bed._

_"I think that you should knock it off," she said._

_Loki steepled his fingers and gave her an attentive look._

_"Please care to explain why."_

_Wow. They were almost having a dialogue. Julia pulled together all available eloquence and persuasion skills developed through customer management trainings._

_"Where to begin? You look no better than me, therefore, I assume that every time I am deprived of rest you do not sleep either. I know that most certainly you could last longer than me, but there are several equally important reasons to stop this madness." Julia stood up and began to walk in circles. "First and foremost, you have a kingdom to rule. If you spend every night sharing dreams with me, soon you will be in no condition for the office. Isn’t it true?"_

_Loki cocked a brow:_

_"It might be."_  
_"Second reason: I am under impression that despite the awful ache of wounded pride, you perfectly understand the reasoning behind my actions. And if you put yourself in my shoes you would realize that my solution to our kitchen standoff was the most beneficial option available."_  
_"Beneficial for who?" Loki huffed. "I fail to see my share of profit."_  
_"Beneficial for me, of course," Julia snapped with irritation. "And enough of these unfriendly remarks; if you had a chance to protect your family from chaos and death, I am sure you would have done the same thing!"_

_Julia took a long breath as her tirade came to an end, and wondered what the reaction would be. Loki got up from the chair. Now as he stood so close to her, the girl had to tilt her head to see his face._

_"Are there any more reasons you would like to share?" She finally heard a low voice._  
_"Just one." Julia replied bravely. "You are the infamous legendary Trickster. If you continue to poison my life, at least leave up to this name and choose a fresh angle! You still have a full year ahead, it is enough time to think of ten thousand new torments and to make me feel miserable in a different way every day."_

_She heard a quiet laugh. Even in the mirk she could see an amused and smug expression on Loki’s face and a small smile._

_"What would you suggest?" Loki purred in a deep voice._  
_"We end this right now. No more nightmares and haunting each other's dreams," Julia said. "No more dead relatives and ruined homes. Deal?"_

_The man watched her with interest. He took one more step forward._

_"Let me think," he stood so close that Julia felt the vibration of his voice as he spoke. **"No."**_

_The girl covered her face and groaned. Of course, when she opened her eyes Loki was gone again. And she was standing ankle-deep in ice cold water._

_"Drowning me? Again? Didn’t you drown me last Friday?!" Julia rushed for the window but the knob was gone, the same thing happened when she tried the door. She jumped up on the bed._  
_"Be sure that today is different from last Friday." Loki appeared sitting on the bed cross-legged. Julia squeaked in surprise when he emerged from out of nowhere, and nearly fell off. "You have a guest."_

_Water was rising so fast that it nearly reached the mattress on the bed. At first Julia did not pay attention to a dark spot on the rising water, but it was growing bigger, until something - or someone - reached the surface._

_The body rocked on the water face-down, long hair floating around the corpse’s head. Guest?! Julia turned towards Loki, but a small splash made her freeze. The body in the water moved._

_Slow and stiff, the corpse was rising from the water. It was a female, wet clothes stuck to her body, strands of wet hair covering the face._

_The drowned woman made a slow unsteady step forward. Julia retreated towards the door, the bed now separating her from the corpse, and grabbed a lamp from the nightstand as an improvised weapon. The dead was approaching her, blindly bumping into the furnishing._

_"I hate zombie movies!" Julia yelled. Splash after splash, the corpse was coming closer. Julia was terrified, her hands were trembling, but a small detail she just noticed made her stomach flip. The white wristwatch on woman’s left hand was just like hers._

_Julia aimed a blow at the zombie’s head with a lamp, a hit so strong the corpse staggered and its head bounced to a side. The girl leaped onto the bed. The blow did not harm the dead - it slowly turned towards Julia, face now visible._

_It was her own face, grayish white and stiff, with blue lips and cadaveric spots and motionless bleary eyes. Julia struggled not to vomit. **Loki, you sick fuck.**_

_Julia bumped into the chair behind her back and stumbled, letting go of the lamp. At this moment her drowned replica approached the girl; Julia tried to crawl out of the way, to push the corpse away but the dead was moving like a wound-up machine, steadily and precisely, arms with cadaveric spots stretched towards Julia._

_Julia felt a cold grip of corpse’s fingers on her shoulders, as her dead lookalike slowly pushed the girl underwater. The last thing Julia saw before she sunk was her own face, a deadly emotionless mask with wide-open empty eyes._

_It was like she was looking into a horrific mirror._

_Set in motion by stress, fear and lack of air, a thousand feverish thoughts flew over her head, one of them making sense. **Mirror.** Julia jerked underwater, grabbing the cold fingers of the corpse, and tried to fight back. She had a mirror in the bedroom, a very big one in a thin black metal frame. She had a mirror in the hotel room right in front of the bed. But she had none in the office. This might be it. Loki came into her dreams through the cold silvery surface of a looking glass._

_Julia finally wriggled out of the clutch with a loud splash and pushed away the drowned girl. She helped herself up with shaky hands, gasping for air. Holding on to the bedside, the girl stood straight. The corpse rose and was mindlessly walking towards her the same as before, stretching forward the cold hands._

_"Get away!" Julia screamed, backing off and trying not to fall down in the knee-high freezing water. She was frantically turning her head around, hoping to find something heavy._

_At last, Julia ducked and jumped to a side, avoiding the grip of her drowned lookalike, and rushed towards the coffee table. The girl  clutched a heavy water jug, and threw it in the mirror with all the strength she had. As the looking glass burst into a thousand tiny pieces, Julia could swear that she saw a glimpse of Loki, bending over with hands pressed to his face. You take that._

_Earsplitting clatter deafened the girl, and she huddled up, covering her face from the shards. At this moment the living corpse grabbed her by the shirt from behind, and pulled Julia underwater. She clumsily waved her hands with nothing to hold on to, and collapsed, sinking deeper and deeper..._

She screamed, choked on water and woke up.

Julia was sprawled on the floor of her hotel room, shaking and panting. Loki, as well as her dreadful drowned replica, were gone, she was all alone. The carpet beneath her was completely dry, all furniture standing in its place. The only evidence of the clash was a broken mirror on the floor, big and small sharp fragments shining coldly in the darkness. Julia carefully got up, holding on to the furniture, and tiptoed towards the lightswitch, trying not to step on glass.

Julia newer relied on intuition, but now she decided to surrender to the feeling of victory and satisfaction. Somehow she knew that the thirteen-night long marathon of horrors and staying awake has come to an end. First thing she will do upon her return home will be taking off the mirror in the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Ragnarok can be set in motion without a prophesy, so this chapter (and the following ones as well) shall be filled with references to the text of good old 13th century "Twilight of the Gods". The story is a total AU, so Loki is acting responsibly and trying to save Asgard. Let's see if it works out well :)
> 
> * The ship in Loki's dream is Naglfar made from the human nails of the dead, set in motion during the events of Ragnarok. Upon mooring Loki and Julia hear the cry of eagle described in the Edda text. Darkness lies upon the lands of Asgard upon their arrival, as Fenrir's son, wolf Skoll, has devoured the sun.


	7. God of Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki tells a thing or two about himself. And he surely has anger issues.

Something has changed after the “mirror incident”. Julia could not explain it but she felt it. When the next day she sat on the couch well-rested and confident, and Loki lowered himself in the armchair with a long scratch on his left cheek and a gloomy look, Julia said nothing, and so did Loki. He lost a round and took it like a man - Julia won this one and decided to let it go.  


She was pleasantly surprised with a slight improvement in her partner’s attitude. Surely, Loki did not change from wicked to amiable overnight, he didn't look happy to see her either, but at least he was not openly-aggressive anymore. For instance, Loki stopped reminding Julia about plans of revenge he was cradling. He did not try to get into her head or her dreams anymore. Their conversations would last longer now and would not end in an abrupt and uncivilized way. Though it looked like Loki had accepted the situation, Julia knew it would have been too good to be true. He surely had something on his mind, waiting and observing her.  


The weekly meetings began at half past seven sharp - this hour somehow worked for both of them. Julia wondered if Allfathers have office hours and around seven Loki puts the crown in a locker and carelessly strides out of the presidential palace. She wondered how he spends the rest of the evenings, and what the nightlife in Asgard is like. She wondered if they have public schools and whether there is any healthcare system. God, she had so many questions.  


Questions aside, there also was one thing which seriously disturbed her. So many Wednesdays have passed already, and they did nothing. Not that she actually knew what to do... There were no news on the rising homicide rate yet - on the contrary it seemed to be decreasing, the paranormal Youtube channels did not offer her any bewildering new material - and this suspicious tranquility was giving her a feeling of a tight knot in the stomach. It felt like a calm before the storm.  


\-------  


While growing up Julia used to have pets. She passed a long way from two goldfish through a mole rat to a real-life corgi. Some survived longer and others not due to excessive feeding and care, but those cheerful years left Julia with a habit of comparing the conduct and habits of people to the behaviour of animals.  


As hard as it was to define her own “totem animal”, Loki without any doubt was a cat. He was alert, attentive and restrained. He would settle firmly in one place, study it and only after that explore another. For five weeks Loki’s acquaintance with the insides of her dwelling was limited to a twenty-step long passage from the front door to the armchair in the corner of the living room. Not a single time did he let Julia out of sight while occupying the strategic armchair. On the sixth Wednesday Julia needed to be excused for a five-minute phone call, leaving her guest alone. While she was gone Loki strode from living room into the kitchen and studied magnets on her fridge; Julia could tell it from the fact that Paris and Greece switched places when she came back. On the seventh Wednesday he would open the fridge to study the contents and turn the electric kettle on. He would take her books and ruffle the pages, he would even study one for longer if it happened to be in English.  


"Your accent is almost gone," Julia noticed. Loki raised his eyes from a Polish landscapes album with red poppy field on the cover. "When we first met it was very noteable. I report to a manager from Sweden and you used to speak just like him."  
"I have not used this language for three years, so I needed some practice to remember it." Loki shrugged. "Last time I heard someone speak English was when the companion of my step-brother was abducted."  


He surely meant Jane Foster. Had there been any quiz on the God of Mischief, Julia would be the winner. She was now a walking Thesaurus of Loki-related facts.  


"Tell me what happened after that?" She asked. She had tried to find out about the destiny of Odin a couple of times, but her attempts failed. "Do you continue to rule the kingdom disguised as Odin till present day?"  


Loki frowned and slammed the book closed.  


"Come on!" Julia put her hands together in a begging gesture. "We already agreed that I won't run around the city telling everyone I met a fictional character. So you can share with me… if you feel like it, of course."  
"I recall you asking me at least three times; doesn't it look like I do not feel like sharing? And why would you want to know anyway?!" Loki gave her an impatient and irked gaze.  
"Because it is interesting and unusual, because _you_ are interesting and unusual, because before I hit you on the head there was no magic in my life and now there is, and I want to know all…" Julia stopped to get some air.  


A strange expression appeared on the man’s face as he heard her words:  


"Do not get excited about it, soon you will wish it all never happened. I speak both of magic and crossing paths with me."  


Is he threatening her again? Julia narrowed her eyes and peered attentively at Loki but there was no predatory expression on his face, nor poison in his voice, only weariness. The man rubbed the face with his hands and started to speak:  


"I ruled Asgard disguised as Odin for two years and a half. No one knew that the true Allfather has fallen to Odinsleep on the day I returned to Asgard. I ordered my most loyal servants and guards to bring the Allfather’s body to the remote chamber and keep watch, and for the whole time the peace of Odin was not disturbed. I played my part well because no living person noticed a change in the way Odin speaks or walks."  
"And the guy watching over Rainbow Bridge? Heimdall?"  


Loki shook his head:  


"If anything would have happened to Odin - if he had died for instance - there would have been a disruption in magic so strong and overwhelming, the whole land of Asgard would have trembled. While Odin is alive Heimdall senses his presence, and nothing worries him and he does not suspect a lookalike in Odin's place. I could have stayed disguised as Odin forever."  
"But what if he had woken up?" Julia asjed him.  
"I would have figured something out," Loki replied, and Julia felt creeps run down her spine when she witnessed a cruel look on his face. "But the recent events made me reconsider my plans. After the prophecy of Ragnarok had been spoken, I decided it was not wise to remain disguised as Odin anymore. I spoke to my step-brother and I confessed the truth to him."  
"How did he take the news?"  
"Our discussion was rather long and emotional," Loki replied evasively. "But we reached a compromise at the end. With a spell of illusion I reenacted falling to Odinsleep, and Thor was there to witness it and to announce to all the people of Asgard the doleful alarming news. On the next day I walked through the main gate of the King’s Keep alive and unharmed after a nearly three-year long roam. Thor rejoiced at the news of my return and granted me pardon for the old deeds, because with my bravery and sacrifice I fully atoned for the previous crimes. Then the time came for Thor to depart back to Midgard, as he had previously declared to Allfather his reluctance to sit on the throne of Asgard. My unexpected return was well timed, and with the consent of the Elders’ Council I was pronounced the acting Allfather and King of Asgard, till the Odinsleep comes to end."  


Loki ceased to speak and leaned back into the armchair.  


"So, you are the Vice-President of Asgard… Actually, the solution you came up with was pretty good." Julia acknowledged. Loki gave her a small nod. "But it is not flawless... What will you do when Odin wakes up? You could have staged the handover of the throne in front of the court, but he actually never gave your brother a permission to leave. And he will not be happy to learn that for a couple of years you pretended to be him. So basically when your father wakes up you might get busted…"  
"Odin is not my father," Loki snapped. Julia blinked with surprise and pulled back a little as she witnessed his expression and posture change. The man’s face stiffened, he braced himself up from a relaxed reclined position and leant forward. "Never dare imply any relation between me and the old fool."  
"Sorry…" Julia swallowed and hunched her shoulders, startled and alarmed by the unexpected and emotional reaction. She wished for an obstacle more solid than a glass coffee table between herself and Loki - something more like a three-meter high brick wall.  


Loki retrieved his emotional balance as fast as he had fallen to rage, leaning back into the armchair and pulling closer the book he had put aside, but for the rest of the evening the conversation was strained. Family relations surely needed to be placed on a list of trigger-topics, never to be discussed again.  


\---------  


"What do you wish to learn today?" Loki sang out instead of a greeting and marched past Julia into the living room.  


One more week to go, it was their eighth Wednesday meeting. Julia studied Loki with suspicion, but the man seemed exceptionally good-humored, so she decided that asking questions would not place her life in danger.  


"Oh, a million things! How old are you exactly? Do you celebrate birthdays every year, or every ten years? What did you get for birthdays as a child? Do you have public schools, like we do? Oh, and what is the predominant religion in Asgard?" Julia followed him, bombarding Loki’s back with questions.  
"Has anyone ever told you that you are annoying?" Loki huffed. "Any more queries?"  
"Yes, just one." Julia walked towards a kitchen cabinet, reaching for a cup. "Would you care for a coffee?"  


Silence fell upon the kitchen. _One, two, three, four, five,_ \- Julia counted in her mind, feeling extremely awkward and cursing her good manners.  


"Yes," she finally heard a reply. Julia looked at the man with surprise, not expecting a positive answer - or any answer whatsoever, but without a word took out another cup.  


Loki seemed a bit startled himself, so without a word he stood and watched the girl put two cups under the coffee machine nozzles and take a tall carton out of the fridge. When Julia walked towards the living room with a tray in her hands, he followed her and sat in his usual place.  


"Milk, sugar, spoons," Julia pointed out and reached for her cup.  


Loki took a big white one. His nostrils flared a little as he took a sip of black coffee and then lowered the cup on the table.  


"You've never tried it before," Julia guessed. She waited for a nod to confirm her guess, and smiled. "So, how is it?"  


Loki shrugged and put a spoonful of sugar into his cup. And then another.  


"The taste is strange, but good," he said. "You drink this beverage as an alternative for tea, is this correct?"  
"Right. Substances in coffee beans have stimulating effect on the brain, same as tea. Basically, I just gave you one of the most common legal drugs. Office workers like me cannot function without it, especially when deadlines are short."  
"In Asgard we mostly prepare herb infusions which give the same effect," Loki added two more spoons of sugar and stirred the coffee.  


Julia tried not to smile as she watched him finish the beverage. Several-thousand years old aggressive alien with an aspiration for world domination has a sweet tooth, who would have thought.  


"Today we shall try to bring together facts and legends." Julia announced, when both of them were done with coffee.  
"Fine," her guest nodded. Loki was strangely amenable, almost friendly. Maybe the consequences of his descend to New York wouldn’t have been so devastating, if someone would have thrown a box of chocolates at him?  


Julia sorted her notes:  


"Norse legends depict you as a short man with either red, or fair hair, but you don't look like this at all. I wonder if there has been any mistake in translation…"*  
"Very unlikely." Loki suddenly interrupted her.  


Julia looked at him and froze mid-sentence with her mouth open, as the Asgardian began to change. His shoulders and torso grew wider all of a sudden, making a tunic and cloak look small. His hair was changing too, the color gradiently becoming several shades more fair. Julia gasped as Loki’s neatly brushed shoulder-long hair got shorter and wavy; a thick blonde beard grew on his face, and the jawline became more massive. The air around the man wavered, making his whole silhouette look blurry. Finally his tall figure shrank and Loki got at least one head shorter. When the vibration of the air around Loki stopped, a blonde athletically-built man with bright green eyes got up from the armchair with a small triumphant smirk. Julia approached Loki with three unsteady steps and poked his forearm just to make sure he was real.  


"Amazing. Unbelievable. Incredible…" She whispered and gave him another poke. And then another. "This is your disguise from the old tales… So, you changed your appearance every time you used to descend to Earth..."  
"You are touching me. Stop it."  
"Can you turn into me?" She asked, ignoring Loki’s demand.  
"I said do not touch me," this time he growled impatiently, and Julia made a small step back. 

She bit her cheek from the inside to hide a smile. 

"Can you turn into... a horse?"**  


Loki frowned a bit, thinking over the possibility.  


"I am not sure if it is possible. A horse is bigger than a man, so even if I succeeded in exact recreation of its anatomy, it would be a very small horse. You see, I am not able to transform into anything bigger than myself, as well as I cannot create an object out of thin air. Magic allows to change both constitution and appearance of things, but you need to have enough matter to work on."  
"Wait, wait… These are basic rules of physics: laws of conservation of mass and energy! You want to tell me that they apply to sorcery as well?!"  


Loki nodded and turned into himself again, this time transformation taking no longer than a couple of seconds. Julia stared at him, unable to hide an expression of admiration and a stupid childish grin; and noticed an indulgent proud smile on the man’s lips grow wider as he watched her reaction. _What a show-off._  


"Next question." Loki softly purred in a delighted voice.  
"All right…" Julia shook her head to snap out of the daze. "Explain to me the salt circle. What happens if I surround myself with it, will I be trapped the same way as you? Did your mom ground you by putting salt all over the floor and you were just sitting there and couldn't move? Parenting must have been easy with you! If I knew how it works I would have tried it on my brother..."  


Loki took a pause before responding.  


"You simplify too much. I spoke to you once of the rules which define the foundation of each Realm. You could compare it to the laws of nature: Midgard would make a full turn around the Sun in twenty-four hours, while another planet in your Solar system would pass the same distance in two full days. Your Realm is the one with magic at its core, therefore all magical beings abide the laws which shall not do any harm to them if they were in Asgard."  
"Sorry, I'm not keeping up… Magical beings are fairies, goblins, the demon-goat, but I caught you, and you are not…" Julia gasped with understanding and flung her arms up. "You actually _are_ a magical creature! You are an ice giant!"  
"Yes." Loki ground out after a pause. A frown crossed his forehead. "Any more questions?"  


Julia alertly studied his stiffened face. And yet again, she accidently stumbled upon another trigger-topic. The girl realized they were standing in the middle of the room rather close to each other, and felt an urge to increase the distance. She stepped back.  


"Of course, I still have plenty of them."  
"Didn’t I tell you that you are annoying?" Loki sighed.  
"Yes, you did… Though I don’t think I am annoying, you just choose to be annoyed," huffed Julia. "Well, I can be a little too persistent, but I think it is understandable - one doesn’t meet an alien every day…"  
"Alien?!" Loki cocked a brow. "You meant _God_ , didn’t you?"  


Julia gave him a puzzled look.  


"No, I actually meant alien... I don’t think that you are a God," she responded in the most polite way.  
"And why is that?" Loki seemed interested, he even leant forward a bit.  
"Well, I am an atheist to begin with." Julia got a bit confused under his attentive gaze and started to walk around. "Also, if I were to define such notion as God, I would say it is a serene allpower entity which stands above all torments and troubles which fill the lives of mortal beings."  
"So, you do not perceive me as such… allpower entity?" Loki confirmed.  


Julia energetically shook her head.  


"No. An allpower entity, as I said, is above all troubles - which means it would not aspire to rule a kingdom, it wouldn’t lament for a dead mother, or get trapped in someone’s kitchen," she saw a gloomy expression appear on Loki’s face, but proceeded despite that. "Surely, you are more resistant to physical damage that a common human being, but you are just a humanoid alien with increased strength and a longer lifespan. So, you are no more God than me or the old lady next door."  


Loki studied her in silence.  


"Did I… did I answer your question?" Julia asked, nervously pacing the room - her usual habit he found annoying as well, "Oh, and besides, even if Asgardian population was divine, technically you are not an Asgardian - I mean of origin, because you were adopted…"  
"Stop."  


Julia ceased talking mid-sentence and turned around - and jumped at the sight of the Asgardian standing merely a step away from her.  


"Shut your mouth," Loki hissed at her. He had a strange - surely magical - ability to occupy all available space in the room when he was annoyed or angry.  
"Don’t creep on me like this," Julia exclaimed, too carried away to assess the situation properly and stop. "You wanted my opinion, I’m sorry it doesn’t match yours but it doesn’t mean that I’m wrong… Besides, everyone knows you are an ice giant, these are basic facts, not something I made up..."  


Julia yelped and yanked as Loki covered the distance between them with one long leap and pushed her towards the wall, holding firmly by the wrists.  


"Don’t speak of matters you do not understand, stupid Midgardian!" Loki roared and shook her forcefully. Julia hit the head on the wall so badly it left her with ringing in the ears. "Pathetic insignificant scum, what do you even know of me! How dare you compare me to weak creatures like you?! I am a God, a superior being! Speak of my heritage again, and I will snap your neck!"  


She winced and tried to kick Loki with a knee, she squirmed and tried to bite his fingers firmly holding her hand. With another shake and another hit on the head the girl felt the world and Loki’s face swirl a little. She squeezed her eyes shut, and suddenly felt the grip of his fingers loosen up.  


Julia slowly slid down on the floor, shivering and breathing convulsively. In front of her Loki collapsed on his knees, cringing and growling in pain caused by the binding spell he had just breached. Julia blinked off tears and curled up in fear as Loki tried to stand up. Holding on to the bookshelf the man rose from the floor, panting heavily, and gave her a hateful look. Julia did not move nor breathe until his unsteady steps faded in the hall and the front door slammed shut, and then burst to tears. Both her wrists was numb of cold and covered in rime where Loki’s fingers had touched her skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * A small tribute to Norse mythology where Loki is depicted as a bearded fair-haired man.
> 
> ** Julia is referring to "The Children of Loki" from Norse lore, one of them being an eight-legged foal Sleipnir to which Loki gives birth. Quite an interesting episode, I bet each of us would have asked ;)


	8. The Kick-off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Julia move out on their first adventure together, and Julia saves the day.

"Why would you need a tazer, honey?!" Twelve early office birds, Julia among them, herded by the coffee machine.  
"I return late sometimes." Julia hit a double espresso. _I am terrified of a super-strong evil alien who resorts to physical abuse when something is not to his liking_. "Never mind."

Rationally thinking, a tazer would not save her. From the other hand it would be good to have one as a confidence booster.

Julia hived off from a sleepy group slowly moving across the open space and walked towards her desk. She stopped so abruptly the hot coffee splashed out of the cup, burning her fingers and staining the white handcuff. A tall brunette was lazily strolling back and forth along the passage between two rows of desks.

Julia blinked but he did not vanish. She slowly walked forward.

"Careful, your coffee is dripping," a colleague from the desk by the window threw a box of paper tissues at Julia. 

The girl jerked and spilled the rest on the floor, eyes locked at Loki who leaned over her desk and gave her a welcoming encouraging smile. The coworkers proceeded with standard morning routine with imperturbable calm as if there was no stranger by her workplace. Maybe there actually wasn't?

The girl approached the desk, put down a cup and without a word beckoned him towards a glass door of a call room.  


Loki’s smile grew wider, and he lazily strode in the required direction.  


"Why are you here?" Julia asked nervously and slammed the door closed.  
"I am here because it is Wednesday, and we are supposed to have a meeting." Loki responded calmly and bent over the desk, studying a conference microphone.  
"But, I thought that we agreed on Wednesday evenings?" Julia stuttered.  
"No, we did not." Loki was smiling, shining like a new dime. "You suggested evenings the night we signed a deal, but I did not say yes. It means that the previous times you fully relied on my courtesy and flexibility, but you do not seem to appreciate it. Therefore, our meeting can be held any time of the day. And I wish it to be now."  


Technically, he was right. But why, in the name of God?!...  


"But I can't, I am busy right now…" Julia waved her hand towards the open space. "I need to work!"  
"Then work." Loki shrugged. "I hope my presence will not bother you."  
"No… I mean, yes! It will!" Julia squeaked and nervously brushed fingers through her hair, ruining a neat ponytail.  


Loki ignored her protest and opened the door to return to the open space. Julia hesitated before following him.  


\---------  


Loki sat on her desk, humming a catchy tune, and watched Julia dig through morning emails.  


"You can’t be here, you know?" Julia hissed at him. "You do not have a badge."  
"Really?" Loki fetched a piece of paper from her desk and folded it twice to adjust the size. "Well, now I do."  


He demonstrated to her a rectangular piece of white plastic, just like the one she had on the neck. Julia frowned, unimpressed by the magic trick.  


"Besides, no one else knows that I am paying you a visit." Loki went on jauntily and looked around the office. "Poor creature... Your work seems boring."  
"My work is perfectly fine!" Julia freaked out. A couple of heads turned towards her, and the girl gave the closest one an apologetic glance. "If you want to be here, then be here, but can you please stay silent?!"  


It was like having her own annoying poltergeist. No one but Julia could see or hear Loki, but each and every employee could see and hear _her_.  


"I want you to go away now!" The girl rapped out, furiously typing an email.  
"I want you to fall off the stairs and break your neck." Loki countered with a dramatic sigh. "But we don't always get what we want, do we?"  


The odds were in her favour: half of the department was at a three-day long training, and their corner of the open space was half empty. So, even if any bystander heard her angry whispers and witnessed her flashing eyes, from a distance one could think she was losing her mind because of a difficult client. Otherwise Julia would have reputed as a corporate lunatic.  


The first three hours of the day left Julia under strong impression that after she had disagreed to acknowledge his divine nature, the God of Lies decided to live up to another name given to him: the Prankster.  


He made her phone ring non-stop and hexed the keyboard to give Julia electric shocks. Julia hoped that the magic spell would take it as a breach of their agreement, but Loki proceeded to annoy her with impunity. His behaviour seemed even more childish when she remembered that he was several thousand years old.  


Luckily, Loki had some kind of a moral code of his own, and did not follow Julia to the ladies room. Unfortunately, she could not hide there all day.  


Whistling under his nose, Loki reached for her cup of coffee. Three fast passes of his agile hands, and the cup was gone.  


"Hey, it was nearly full!" Julia exclaimed angrily. _First rule of the office space: they can take our lives, but they can never take our coffee_.  
"My bad." Loki did not look like he regretted anything. "Go fetch."  
"Go fuck yourself!" The girl snapped, and got up from the desk. Actually, a small walk around the open space would do her good.  


She tried to make the stroll as long as possible and deliberately stopped by the printer and the bulletin board. Sadly, the cup was nowhere to be found, but as Julia approached the desk, from a distance she could see it in Loki’s hands. When they locked their eyes, the man saluted the girl and took a sip.  


"You were supposed to be the God of Lies, not the God of stupid office pranks," Julia moaned and collapsed onto the chair.  
"Oh, so I am a God after all?" Loki gave her an interested look.  


_You must be kidding me_. Loki was poisoning her life because she had refused to perceive him as God.  


" _No_. You know that your behaviour best fits the description of a teenager's awkward flirting?" After she had failed to ignore her visitor, Julia thought that embarrassing him might work. "Is there anything you want to confess to me?"  


Loki huffed with amusement.  


"Are you implying that I could be romantically interested in you?! Even if I ever accepted the concept of breeding with such primitive creatures as Midgardians, I would surely not even look at you." Loki scanned her figure with an expressively shameless look and gave the girl a charming smile. "It is because you are ugly as a troll."  


Julia could not think of a good comeback and silently sat down in front of the computer. No, she was not. _Bastard_.  


"Asgardian women are better than Midgardian maids in all respects. They are beautiful, tall and sublime, long golden hair like ripe wheat, rosy lips and lush bodies. And they are more intelligent. And…"  
"And probably have higher standards?" Julia inerrupted him impatiently, sorting out papers for the upcoming meeting. She raised her eyes at Loki and winked at him. "Single, aren't you?..."  


This time it was his turn to hush with a mixed-up look on his face. _You take that_.  


"I have to go to a meeting right now, it is very important. If you have nothing better to do than loaf around my office, make yourself useful." Julia dropped a pile of printouts on her desk with a heavy thud. "These are all police reports on missing people and strange events, buildings collapsing for no reason, and some new articles from “Unexplained Mysteries” - all I could gather and translate in the past two months while you did nothing."  


Without waiting for a response Julia marched towards a conference room, counting the loud clip-clops of her heels to calm herself down. She deliberately sat with her back to the open space and for the entire hour diligently stared at the presentation.  


When the girl returned to her desk the pile of printouts was way thinner.  
_These ones look promising, be ready this evening_ , - Julia deciphered Loki’s geometrical, rune-like scribble on the top page. About fifteen printouts altogether left, and no sign of Loki. Maybe he realized how immature and annoying he was and decided to leave her be. Julia worked for the rest of the day in high spirits, till she walked to the parking beside the office.  


"You son of a…" Her car was all covered in green postits.  


\----------  


Loki was marching steadily down the street and Julia had to jog to keep up with him. They were going on an adventure every hobbit would kill for.  


"Why Lorca?" the girl puffed. "Are we _walking_ to Lorca? Is this why you are in such a hurry?"  
"I am in a hurry because you were late."  
"I was late because some dickhead messed with my car. I think you know what I'm talking about."  
"I have no idea," Loki drawled.  


Soon they reached a wasteground surrounded by remains of a chain-link fence. A remote street light lighted up puddles, dirty snow and empty bottles on the ground. Julia followed Loki trying not to wet her boots, alertly turning her head around.  


"We shall travel from here." Loki approached a lone tree and snapped his fingers in the air. A small flickering light appeared in front of him. The man took out a knife and energetically scratched out a protection rune on the tree trunk.  
"The place looks abandoned." Julia shivered in the cold wind.  
"Exactly." The symbol on the tree flashed with golden and Loki walked towards the girl. "I use it to descent to Midgard every Wednesday. This piece of land is secluded and a sane person would not be tempted to approach the terrain. Besides, I made sure every passer-by would feel an urge to look away."  
"Just like in Hogwarts," Julia giggled. "They use a spell to mask the castle."  


Loki raised a brow.  


"Never mind," the girl said quickly. "How do we travel? Portal-puddle?"  
"Correct. Give me the images."  


Julia took out a pile of street view pictures and handed over to Loki. They spent about half an hour studying the city plans and choosing a location where two people appearing out of thin air would not cause panic. A construction site beside a free car park seemed like a suitable location.  


Loki took one of the photos and held it closely under the flickering light, studying every detail with attention. Eyes locked on the picture, he started to speak in a low voice:  


"Ég ætla að ferðast langt. Opnaðu dyrnar, láta mig fara..."*  


Julia watched and waited, pondering over the journey ahead of them. The accidents Loki selected from the pile for their today's venture were bizarre and stood out from the rest in several ways.  


All took place in a small city in southeastern Spain within the last two days. A series of tragic events broke out after an unexplainable act of vandalism in the local archeological museum. Someone crashed an exhibition room with clay potsherds and wreaked havoc in the main hall. Since then several people got severely hurt under circumstances difficult to explain.  


One guy was found drowned in his apartment with all water taps closed. A short article did not specify where the water came from, but when the police finally broke the door, the whole block was flooded. A young woman died as her flower shop collapsed on her head for no reason. An elderly woman was found with her head smashed, literally smashed, like a juicy watermelon. And a bunch of locals calling the police after they have witnessed a gigantic, at least three-meter tall creature moving along the sleeping streets of Lorca at night.  


"We can depart." Loki softly blew at a fen-fire levitating in front of his face, and it dissolved. A portal was glowing with steady blue light.  


Julia shivered at the memory of her previous rather unpleasant journey, but bravely walked forward.  


\----------  


"So, who are we after?"  


They trod under a steady drizzle. Streets looked cleaner and buildings around them were getting nicer with every intersection they passed. Julia and Loki walked out of the industrial part of the city and were heading towards the old town.  


"I think that we will be dealing with a jinn,"the man announced.  
"A jinn? You mean the one that grants wishes? Cool! Can you please wait up!?" Julia pierced Loki’s back in front of her with an annoyed look and with a quiet groan jogged forward. "Why is there a jinn in Spain, why not Kuwait? Jinn is a creature from arabian legends, he doesn’t fit in this country!"  
"Tell me, how many times throughout the history did men vanquish and invade each other's land?" Loki looked back and rolled his eyes at the sight of at least ten-step distance between them. He stopped for a moment, allowing Julia to catch up. "If I recall correctly, this land for several centuries remained under control of the Arabs. Their sorcerers must have brought a powerful servant with them when they arrived to rule over the enslaved lands.  
"And he woke up now?"  


Loki nodded.  


"A jinn without a master shall be searching for victims to fool. When there is no equal who can tame him, he thrives on weak souls, on their suffering and pain. The circumstances of death of every reported person left me with a feeling, that someone was granting them wishes."  
"We speak of a guy who died in an apartment filled with water up to the ceiling. And a lady smashed under the ruins? What kind of sick wish is that?!" Julia snorted.  
"It is a wish turned the other way round in order to harm the requester," Loki replied calmly. "Do you think that a jinn will blindly and gladly obey the one he serves? A being so powerful and ancient is also smart enough to find a loophole in every order given by a human, twisting it in a fatal way to make the stupid mortal suffer."  


Julia swallowed and looked at Loki with the corner of her eye, unsure if he spoke of a jinn or of himself. The Asgardian pretended not to notice her hesitation and went on with a small sneer:  


"For instance, a poor fellow accidently enslaves a magical being and can make three wishes which a jinn shall fulfil. And he orders a jinn to water the flowers. Guess what would happen to the Midgardian?"  
"Nothing good," Julia mumbled. She did not like the direction their conversation was taking and she did not require a lecture to remind her of how screwed she was.  
"I bet the jinn would continue to bring water until he floods the apartment. This is what I would do. The same applies to similar contracts between weak mortals and superior beings..."  
"Yes, thank you, I get your point," Julia growled impatiently and changed the subject. "By the way, why are we discussing this right now? We were supposed to get ready in advance."  
"I am ready," Loki shrugged.  
"Well, I am not," Julia huffed angrily. "And next time I would appreciate if you told me beforehand..."  
"I did not want to waste my time," Loki countered. "You are neither strong nor clever; which means you are unable to help me and you are walking by my side only because the contract requires your presence. You will be completely useless."  


Julia opened her mouth to object him, when Loki stopped. They were standing in front of the main entrance to the devastated museum, a two-storey historic building painted white.  


"Follow me," he proceeded around the building, attentively looking around.  
"But the museum is locked up," this remark of hers made Loki chuckle. They reached the rear entrance, a simple grey metal door with a small green exit sign above it.  


Julia watched Loki tap his fingers around the keyhole, and the door opened as he pushed the knob down. They sneaked into the dark empty building, walked through a labyrinth of service corridors at the back of the museum, and reached the main hall. The exhibition room where it all started was easy to spot - in place of a door there was a huge hole, a gap in the wall at least three meter high and three meters wide.  


The room was completely empty, no glass shards left from crashed showcases. Loki paced it in the darkness, no fen-lights to illuminate the surroundings this time.  


"I can't see a thing," Julia complained.  
"You do not need to see to find a trail," Loki replied quietly. "Sýndu mér leiðina!"**  


The girl watched him brush the fingers over the wall, and several blue sparks came from under his palm. Then Loki closed his eyes and just stood there, listening to something Julia could not perceive. With a slow and smooth move the man pulled out a short knife and threw it up in the air. The blade shone coldly in the darkness, but the weapon did not fall on the ground. Instead, it stopped and levitated in the air in front of Loki’s face, pointing with the tip towards the exit from the room.  


And then one by one, a trail of red sparks glimmered on the ground, first brightly and then dying out so that the light was nearly impossible to see. The chain of lights led out of the chamber.  


"It is beautiful," Julia bent over by the trail and tried to catch a red spark. "Is there at least a slight chance I could learn to do magic? Would you teach me?"  
"No," replied Loki. Julia rolled her eyes, standing up straight.  
"Well, I wish you would at least…"  


Julia did not finish the sentence, the rest of it muffled by Loki’s hand pressed to her lips.  


"No!" Loki breathed out nervously and angrily, one hand covering her mouth and the other firmly holding her. "Don't wish for anything tonight if you want us to live. He can hear you."  


Julia blinked, startled by his violent reaction and the fear in his eyes, and quickly nodded several times. Loki looked around and let her go, taking a step back.  


"Some time has passed but I caught the trail of the jinn. It remains within the confines of the old part of town." The man regained his calm. "Come, we will reach him soon, he is not far away."  


Julia hesitated. Loki was already at the door and he turned back impatiently to see the girl standing in the same place where he left her.  


"You are very afraid of the jinn," Julia said slowly.  


Loki looked at her with pity as if she was insane.  


"Of course I am. A jinn is as old as the world itself, he can bend reality and wipe entire Realms out of existence. The extent of his magical power is beyond the point one's imagination can reach."  
"Let’s catch him then." Julia looked at Loki with an adventurous spark in her eyes. "We can catch him, and there will be three wishes for each of us. I could make a wish to stop this insanity and you could make a wish to stop Ragnarok. Think of it."  


The girl felt a tide of excitement rise within her, her cheeks flushed red and a smile she couldn't hold curved her lips.  


"It would be great! I could wish to cure cancer once and for all. To hell with cancer, I could wish away all diseases. I could even put an end to all crime, I just have to think of a proper wording for this. I could..." She suddenly tensed up and gave Loki a rather cold gaze. "I could actually wish _you_ away. No magic - no monsters. No kidnapping - no contract. We would have never met."  


Loki looked at Julia with caution. He made one small step towards her, and then another one. The girl noticed his movement and backed off.  


"It is not a good idea," he replied, trying to make his voice sound calm. "The jinn will try to trick you."  
"You tried as well and failed," Julia huffed. "You think I cannot cope with him? Don’t worry, I won’t rush, I have to think it all over."  
"No." Loki made one more tiny step forward. "If you make a mistake, a single slip of the tongue will be enough for the jinn to unleash his wrath on you."  


Julia rolled her eyes and was about to disagree, but Loki darted forward, and pressed a tip of cold sharp blade to Julia's neck.  


"I said no."  


The girl looked at Loki with panic and confusion.  


"What..."  
"I will not let you bring death upon both of us. Shut up and do not open your mouth until the jinn is defeated. You shall walk by my side, and you shall walk in silence. If for at least a moment I think your behaviour is suspicious I will cut out your tongue. Do you understand me?"  


Julia lingered, and felt the pressure of blade against her neck increase. She slowly nodded.  


"Not a word, remember." Loki pulled the knife away and made a welcoming gesture, encouraging Julia to move. "Let's walk."  


She walked. A couple of times Julia caught Loki watching her. Look who got nervous. Just to make it clear, she wouldn’t ask a jinn to make Loki disappear, but only because the three wishes could not be wasted on such unimportant things.  


Julia sighed. She felt an urge to ask Loki how he was planning to fight the all-powerful wishmaster, but every time she turned to her companion she did not dare to speak under his heavy gaze. _He isn't really going to cut her tongue out, right?_  


They were approaching the castle complex. It was a chilly rainy Wednesday evening, so the road leading up the hill was empty. Julia wondered if they would break into the castle towering over them the same way they did into the museum; or if Loki was planning to climb the steep walls, but he suddenly walked off the road and made his way towards a big piece of rock on the hill slope.  


In the golden glimmer falling from the brightly-lit castle on top of the hill Julia discerned iron bars blocking a passage into some kind of tunnel.  


"We need to go inside." Loki said, bending over in front of the grates and peeking into darkness. The trail of crimson lights was barely visible on the floor of the passage leading under the hill.  


Julia watched Loki firmly grip the bars and close his eyes. First the fingertips turned blue, then the cold sapphire glimmer spread to his palms and up. The rime covered the grate where he touched it, then a thin layer of ice appeared on the iron, expanding and growing thicker. With a grunt of effort Loki jerked the bars, tearing out a large piece of grate.  


He tossed it to a side and stood straight. In the mirk Julia noticed dark blue marks on his face fade, as skin turned back to human pale. With a snap of fingers he summoned a light.  


"Remember. Not a single word," and the man dove into the darkness.  


The tunnel must have served a purpose of a secret passage in case of siege. It went up and then down, deep into the rock on which the castle stood. In the uneven light of the will-o-the-wisp Julia followed Loki who had to walk half bent in the narrow vaulted tunnel. Then he suddenly stopped.  


"It doesn’t make sense," Loki whispered and stretched out a hand, blocking Julia's way.  


The girl stopped and peeked from behind him into the darkness.  


"We are very close, but the magic trail is too weak for a jinn. Someone else is hiding here." His whisper was nearly soundless.  


Loki snapped his fingers several times, and a covey of fen-fires appeared in front of him. One after another the twinkling lights floated into the darkness ahead of them.  


Loki detached from the wall and cautiously stepped forward, looking around a spacious round chamber with a vaulted ceiling. With wary eyes he scanned the insides of it, spotting out a massive wooden chest in the corner and torch sconces on the walls. The air was thick with dust, the clay floor under their feet uneven. In the wall across the room there was a breach of the same size as in the museum; the creature must have fled through the hole.  


"Move!" Loki urged, looking back at Julia.  


And the floor underneath them shook and moved. It looked like the earth itself came to life. With rasp and rumble a bulge appeared on the clay floor and started to arise rapidly, surrounded by clouds of dust. Julia felt that she was losing balance and suddenly Loki pushed her to a side. She managed to land on her feet, Loki jumped down after her and pulled the girl towards the chest in the corner.  


They squirmed behind the piece of furniture and watched the rocks and clay bend together, forming a giant unwieldy figure. In a cloud of rufous dust a huge shapeless body rose, its small head scratching the ceiling and unproportionally bulk paws reaching the floor. The glazed potsherds were covering the head and torso of a creature like an armour, plates overlapping one another.  


Loki and Julia crouched behind the chest. The creature was moving around the chamber, its head reaching the tall ceiling and scratching it, spalling out small pieces of stone.  


"What is this thing?!" Loki breathed out in shock, peeking from behind their barricade.  
"I… I don’t know!" Julia whispered. Whatever it was, the creature surely was no jinn.  


Loki swore under his breath and looked at the girl.  


"How do I fight it?"  
"I don't know!" Julia pulled back from him. The rumble of stones sounded right beside them, the creature pacing the confines of the chamber.  


With an irritated growl Loki pulled out a long knife and jumped over the chest, leaving her in the hideout.  


_Thud. Thud. A rain of small stones poured over Julia. Smash. The room trembled._  


"What should i do?!" she heard Loki from across the room, his voice fading in loud stone rumble.  
"I don’t know! Anything…" Julia winced, curled up behind the furniture barricade. She covered her head from the rain of stone shrapnel.  


The girl heard a loud thud and Loki cried out in pain. Suddenly her eyes caught a six-pointed star surrounded by finesse ornament of faded gold on a side of the chest. Julia gasped and peeked from above the chest.  


"There is a David's Star! The creature must be a Golem!"  


Loki turned towards her for a second, distracted from the fight:  


"A _what_?!"  
"Get down!" Julia yelled and pressed both hands to her mouth, watching the creature’s blow bypass Loki’s head by merely an inch and hit the wall instead.  


With surprise she noticed the giant clay figure suddenly bend before aiming another hit at Loki, as if her warning was meant for the creature.  


Julia alertly watched the fight. She was no expert but even she could tell that it was not going well.  


The Golem rose both paws high above the head and smashed the floor in the place where the man was a moment ago, wrecking the clay and stones and making the whole chamber shake. Loki rolled to a side, but weariness made him slower. A huge paw reached out from the cloud of dust and caught the man by the right shoulder, lifting him in the air. Loki yanked and tried to get out of the grip, but the creature’s paw only squeezed him stronger and pushed into the wall. Loki gasped in pain and the dagger slid out of his hand.  


Firmly pressing Loki to the wall the creature aimed a blow to his head. No man would have survived it, no matter how strong and God-like. The girl clenched her hands together, helplessly watching Loki get killed. She could do nothing to help him and she was next. If only...  


A crazy idea hit her like a thunderbolt. Julia rushed forward, screaming at the top of her lungs:  


"Freeze! Stop! Don’t move! Let him go!"  


When the echo faded, in silence embracing the chamber she could only hear Loki’s laboured breath and grinding of small stones. It worked, the monster did not move. Its giant clay paw froze merely an inch before Loki’s face, and the other one previously gripping the man's shoulder was hanging loose. Loki blinked, slowly breathed out and slid down on the floor.  


"Why did it stop?" he wheezed out in a hoarse voice and heavily got up. The creature remained still, its blow still aimed at the same place.  
"It will not move till one of us gives the next command," Julia whispered. The girl could feel sweat trickle down her spine. In her mind’s eye she saw a creature finish its move, and the man’s body on the floor, still and covered in blood.  
"How did you know?" Loki asked with suspicion, limping towards her, his face wet with sweat and dirty.  
"I didn't. It was a lucky guess." Julia nervously licked her lips. "When I told you to duck, Golem did exactly the same."  
"I don't understand." Loki made another step and winced in pain. "Is there a second creature then? There are a jinn _and_ a Golem?"  
"I don't think so... Maybe there was no jinn at all. You see, a Golem doesn't grant wishes, but it obeys orders. Every order you make…" Julia cautiously stepped forward and stood by the creature. "Raise your right hand."  


The Golem thrust its paw up, crushing the vaulting above their heads. The chamber shook and a cascade of dust and small stones poured on the floor. Julia coughed, wondering if the hill will collapse and bury them in this chamber forever.  


"Now let me show you some of my magic," she waved her cell phone in the air, hoping to catch some network from the depth of Lorca castle hill.  


By her side Loki heavily sat down on the floor.  


"There is a tale that a Jewish _rabbi_ ," Julia raised her eyes from the glimmering screen and noticed a confused look on Loki’s face, "a sorcerer - created a Golem out of clay, and the creature obeyed each and every order till one day it went crazy and rampaged through the city. The tale comes from Prague, but there surely was a Jewish diaspora here in Spain as well.*** A Golem is basically harmless, until someone attacks it, then the creature would protect itself. And it has no conscious of its own, it is a mindless dummy made of stone and clay, so every order it hears will be taken literally."  


Loki carefully listened to her.  


"There is a word on its head." Julia pointed at the forehead of the creature, foreign symbols engraved into dark glazed clay. "It says _emet_ in Hebrew which means truth. Now, the legend says that in order to dissolve the Golem you need to change the word to _met_ , death, by removing the first letter."  
"It won't move?" Loki asked.  
"Not until one of us makes a direct request."  


Loki nodded, got up and limped towards the Golem. He studied the motionless figure for a moment and then jumped up, clutching his hands on the right paw of the creature, still stretched out and still. Then Loki pulled up and holding on to the Golem with one hand, unsheathed the dagger. With a loud scrape he raked the blade along the forehead of the creature several times, crossing out the first letter of the magic word.  


Loki jumped down, clumsily landing on the injured leg. Behind his back the giant was falling to pieces.  


\----------  


They were hobbling down the street towards the extraction point, both covered in dirt and clay and wet under cold rain. Julia was stumbling upon every bump or pothole on her way, eyes locked on the phone screen.  


"It all makes sense! There used to be an old fifteenth-century synagogue in the castle complex, but now there is a posh hotel built within its remains. The chamber where we found the Golem must be a part of the old sanctuary. The Golem must have gathered up from pieces in the museum. Upon waking up it headed to the place of its creation, but on the way Golem overheard people talking, and it took random phrases of passers-by for orders. Each one must have been fulfilled literally, this is why you mistook him by the jinn. This explains everything, even the drowned guy."  


Julia turned her head towards Loki and smiled proudly, hiding the wet phone in the pocket of her jacket. The man studied her closely in silence.  


"Today you were not useless." Loki uttered offhand.  
"What a strange way to say “thank you”," Julia huffed in response.  


With the corner of her eye she noticed a small smirk curve his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I intend to travel far. Open the door, grant me passage...  
> ** Show me the way!  
> *** This is the reason why I chose Lorca for their destination. Because it is confusing ^.^ The Southern part of Spain was influenced by the Arabs in the Medieval period, so a jinn would be a logical assumption. But at the same time, the Jewish population of the city could have left some of its heritage as well.


	9. Angels of Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear All,  
> Thank you for the kudos and feedback! It was a real pleasure to read the comments ^^
> 
> Back to business: this chapter is long and rather emotional... I packed it with action, Slavic mythology and Tarot symbols - please check the end notes for explanation. Hope you like it :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) **Lamia** \- a Balkan magial beast resembling a dragon, described as a creature with big sharp teeth, four legs and a tail, and the body covered with fish scales.  
>  (2) "Who are you? What do you want?" _(Slovak)_  
>  (3) "Hands up!" _(Slovak)_  
>  (4) "Silence! We must wait for Jael." _(Slovak)_  
>  (5) **Gadjikane** \- a word to define a non-gypsy woman in Romani language.  
>  (6) **Rom Baro** \- a title for gypsy tribe leader / clan leader in Romani language.  
>  (7) **Strzyga** \- a Slavic evil spirit born as a child with two souls and two rows of teeth, which turns into an owl at night and preys upon living beings. A link for those who want to learn more ^^: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strzyga  
>  (8) "Stop, devil!" _(Slovak)_

"We need a team name," Julia declared. "Like the Avengers, but cooler."

Loki’s face twitched at her mentioning the name, and he gave her a disdainful look:

"No."  
"I think giving a title is a natural step when assembling a group." Julia shrugged, not at all discouraged by his response. "It helps to formalize the partnership. I thought of several ones: The Crusaders of Ten Realms. Sentinels of Ragnarok..."  
"No."  
"Just hear me out!... Rangers Of The Living!"  
"Silence," Loki commanded, leaning forward and pointing at her with a teaspoon. "There is no “we”, there is no team, I do not wish to be labelled with a stupid name. If you say one more word, I will strangle you. Understood?"  
"Undead Patrol," Julia whispered soundlessly.  
"I thought I said no," Loki purred and narrowed his eyes. "Your persistence makes me question your sanity. I heard that quite a lot of Midgardians find pleasure in getting hurt; that would be a suitable explanation of your death wish."  
"I didn’t say anything," she mumbled uneasily and turned her attention to the printouts, lowering her head to hide a smile, " _Angels of Justice._ "

After they returned from their one-night tour to Spain Julia caught a cold and called in sick. She wondered if Loki did as well, and admired the level of Asgardian healthcare: on their out-of-schedule meeting two days later he looked rested and healthy, no sign of injuries sustained during the fight.

They had another mystery to resolve from the first batch of events selected by Loki. A serial killer appeared in the biggest Gypsy shanty town in Slovakia, in the settlement of Jarovnice. About two and a half weeks ago a wave of murders brought terror to the gypsy ghetto at the outskirts of town. Every morning someone would be found dead: a man, a woman or a child. The whole country closely followed the news of Gypsy Jack the Ripper, but the police couldn’t find any evidence. One day the mysterious murders in the camp ceased - only to continue in a small moving caravan running away from death and terror.

Loki finished a second cup of coffee - if the sweet sticky syrup he was drinking could be classified as coffee at all - and pointed at the Slovak Case.

"Now, tell me what you think about the one hunting the gypsies."

Julia raised her head and stared at Loki.

"E-excuse me?" she stuttered in surprise.  
"Tell. Me. What. You. Think." Loki repeated, slowly articulating every word and giving her a pitiful and compassionate look of a psychiatrist talking to a retarded patient.  
"You want to hear me out?" Julia clarified in disbelief.  
"Yes." The man snapped with irritation. "You proved yourself useful last time, and I want you to voice your opinion. Speak."

Julia could not hold a wide proud grin. She sat with her back straight, inhaled deeply and confessed:

"I have no idea."

Loki groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose, his expression clearly telling Julia what he thought of her usefulness for their common cause.

"I mean, we are facing several problems: first of all, the news do not seem very willing to cover the “Gypsy Massacre”; second - there is not much left from the victims… and only a couple of photos. The only thing I am sure about is that the beast hunts at nights when the moon is clouded. Also, I checked the Central European lore and the one hunting gypsies can be literally any legendary beast. Take a look for yourself!" Julia pattered and handed him several papers across the table.

Loki quickly looked through the main suspects.

"No, no, maybe, no…" He sorted them out into two piles. The “no-pile” was way bigger.  
"A vampire?" Julia asked with disappointment, looking at the only sheet which landed in the “yes-pile”. "That’s it?!"  
"For now, yes. The rest of creatures do not fit. I think the one hunting gypsies is a hungry vampire who has woken up after hundreds years of sleep and regained its magical power."  
"What about Lamia?" _ **(1)**_  
"I remember the name of Lamia from the book I gave you. The story was told by the two Asgardian merchants who witnessed it attack a caravan at a mountain cod at night. Lamia lives in caves like all snakes do and is scared of sunlight, there is no chance it would pursue the gypsies through the woods and meadows. Woodland spirits usually wouldn’t devour flesh, whereas in our case the creature eats the victims. And as for all types of night-walkers, witches and vilas, these female spirits would rather hunt and seduce men, and from what I understand there were females among the dead."

Julia thought of what he said for a moment, then nodded.

"Seems legit," she acknowledged.

Loki got up:

"We depart tomorrow early morning."  


\----------  


Julia adjusted her backpack and thought if leaving her credit cards at home was a narrow-minded and biased move.

They stepped out of the portal in the middle of nowhere, between a river and a picturesque grove somewhere in Slovak countryside. The group they were following has been on the run for five days, moving West. According to their calculations, the caravan has set up a camp about ten kilometers away from the place where they landed, though in Julia’s humble opinion, the ten-kilometer safety margin Loki left between the portal and the gypsy camp was a slight overkill.

"Why do we have to walk?!" Julia howled, jumping over a small creek. She was hot under unexpectedly warm sunbeams, she stepped into an anthill, and she hoped for a break.

Loki, on the contrary, seemed to be enjoying the stroll. He walked carelessly holding hands behind his back, squinting from the warm spring sun.

"Oh, there are many reasons why I chose to walk. First, from their track I can clearly tell that the caravan has been on the run for the last several days. The horses are tired and slow. Second, we are close, they were here an hour ago, maybe one and a half. And, last but not the least - you do not seem very comfortable with our little hike."

Julia squeaked, pulled the sleeves of the jacket on her palms, and raised her hands up high as she waded through tall dry grass. Loki leaned by the nearby tree as he watched her fight her way through.

"I grew up in a big city. The wildlife scares me," Julia hissed and turned around, trying to shake the culms and seeds off her back. "There can be spiders."  
"I thought wildlife is a word to define savage animals, such as wolves, boars, or bears. But surely, a spider is dangerous and mighty enough to be worthy of such name." Loki drawed, pursing his lips in an attempt not to laugh, and came closer.

Julia gave him a suspicious look.

"We could have landed closer. It’s obvious that they are on the run and that they are in a hurry, it is natural reaction of someone who is scared out of his mind. You don’t need to read their trail to tell this."  
"What you say is true. But where is the fun in it?" Loki chuckled and pulled a culm out of her hair. "Besides, there is always a risk that near the encampment someone might witness our arrival, and I do not wish to waste my efforts on altering the memory of two hundred people. You’d better not stay behind, who knows how many spiders hide in this grass."  


\----------  


From a distance Julia could hear a buzz, as if they were approaching a beehive. Then she discerned indistinct music, rowdy rhythms of several Balkan disco songs at once, mixing together. And then, as they stepped from behind the trees to an open grass-plot, the girl froze at gunpoint of four Kalashnikov machine-guns, no more than ten steps separating her from a group of armed men. Behind her back Loki made a deep breath.

"Kto ste? Čo chcete?" ** _(2)_**  
"I… I don't understand you," Julia said in a shaky voice.  
"Ruky hore!" ** _(3)_** The oldest man with a beard jerked his gun up.

Julia got the main idea and slowly lifted her hands in the air, hoping that Loki has a plan for this kind of complication, and the weapons would magically vanish or turn into Nerf guns. But Loki did not move.

"We… we come in peace?" Julia mumbled.  
"Ticho! Musíme počkaťna Jael." ** _(4)_**  
"What do we do?" the girl stuttered, turning her head to Loki.  
"I am thinking." Loki replied slowly, his eyes hastily darting from one gunman to another. "I don't understand. I should have felt their presence..."  
"I made sure you would not," a woman's voice suddenly said, and the armed men moved to sides.

The gypsy was in her forties, maybe fifties, with long raven hair and obsidian eyes. The woman was thin and frail and merely reached the shoulder of the shortest man at the meadow, but as she walked by, all four hunched their backs a bit. Julia could clearly tell who runs the place.

"Why you follow?" The gypsy asked with a strong southern accent.

Julia and Loki exchanged a quick look. Loki nodded at the girl, made a small step forward and opened his mouth, but the woman jerked her head impatiently. The four men pointed all guns at his chest.

"No. You speak," the woman ordered, closely watching Julia.

The girl swallowed.

"I… My name is Julia, and this is Loki. We… we came because there were news about people dying. We look for the thing which hunts you."  
"Why?" the woman asked with suspicion, "police don't look."  
"To help you," the girl replied. "We hunt the magical beasts. We… we actually just started, so there is not much to tell about. Oh God, it would sound so crazy… Fine, you won't believe me but some time ago the magical creatures appeared among us and started to attack people. We try to find and stop them, and we think that one of them is after you…"  
"You think right." the woman interrupted her. "I saw what was left of victims; people cannot tear flesh like this."

Julia shifted from heels to toes.

"I… We are not sure which monster is hunting you, but we have a... suspect. And if you want us to help, we could discuss this… without guns?" She heard her voice change to pathetic squeak. "We do not mean any harm, we're not dangerous. We can leave if you don’t want..."

The woman moved closer and studied Julia’s face.

"Yes." She suddenly agreed. "We will discuss."

The gypsy turned towards the men and gave them a short nod. Julia dared to breathe out with relief, but apparently it was too early, because all four stepped forward and circled Loki, holding him at gunpoint.

"Woah, wait… What are you doing?!" Julia stuttered, helplessly looking at the woman, at Loki and back at the armed gunmen.  
"You come with me, and we talk. The creature stays here."

Loki braced himself. His shoulders tensed and the right hand started to move slowly towards the scabbard with a dagger.

"But I… We… He's not a…" Julia heard the click of a gunbolt and felt her heart stop.  
"You come with me." The woman repeated. "Your creature waits. We will not harm it, unless it attacks."

Loki grimaced, but gave Julia a small nod. She hurried after the woman past the guards. The girl turned to look back a couple of times, but it seemed that stand-off was not escalating. She expected a storm of rage and violence, a catastrophe and sounds of a fight behind her, but there was silence.

"He's not a creature," Julia said, trying to keep up with the woman who quickly walked through a bosk.  
"Of course he is, I sensed him from far away. And a strong one. Tell me, how did you tame him, _gadjikane **(5)**_?" Asked the woman, studying Julia. "It takes a lot of power, much more than I have."  
"I did not tame him. It's a long story... He got trapped in my kitchen and had to agree for a deal, otherwise I wouldn't let him go." Wow, technically she was the bad guy here. "Just to be clear, I don't have any magic power, I was just lucky. Loki is here with me because of the contract terms. I made him look for the monsters with me."  
"I have seen fools who tried to enslave demons and spirits for money and power, beauty and youth. But I never saw one who strikes a deal with a creature to help others. Maybe you are a bigger fool than others."  
"Maybe." Julia thought of Loki paying off her housing loan overnight, and sighed.  
"Yet a fool or not, I am grateful that you came to help. And I will not send a traveller away. I will allow you to stay with us, and I promise no ill-wish from any of us. Hunt, search, help. I will tell you all we know. If you claim you are not a witch, so be it. If what you say is no lie, and you are just lucky, so be it. We need luck as much as we need a miracle."  
"But what about Loki?..."

They walked into the confines of the camp, and Julia felt a prick of disappointment. She imagined a travelling gypsy camp as some sort of Renaissance Fair, with wooden nineteen-century caravans, horses and a dancing bear. There were cars instead of wooden carriages, mostly rusty minivans. Tents of different sizes and shapes, as well as a couple of shacks quickly put together from plywood, were huddled in the centre of a vast meadow, as far away from trees as possible. There were two or three horses though, at least this part satisfied Julia's expectations. The girl followed the woman among the tents and cars, in the hubbub of voices and music, and they reached the biggest and most solid-looking tents forming a circle around a clear area in the very centre of the camp.

"Your creature can stay with us as well. My men will bring it here."

Julia watched Loki tread along the tents and carriages towards her, the guns aimed at his back. Under attentive and wary eyes of the crowd gathering around he unfastened a heavy baldric belt going across his chest, detached the scabbards from his waist and thigh, and took a small dagger out of the right boot top. Loki handed all weapons over to the gunman closest to him and walked towards Julia, people moving aside as he approached.

Julia gave him a relieved smile. She didn’t think she would ever be happy to see Loki again.

"You are my guests. We do not plan to move for the next few days, people need rest. You can stay." The gypsy declared.  


\----------  


First thing Julia and Loki did would have lead to their inevitable death in every horror movie. They split up. Julia followed the woman around the camp, and Loki disappeared from sight, probably studying the surrounding area.

The gypsy’s name was Jael, and she was a fortune-teller and the mother of the _Rom Baro_ ** _(6)_**. Julia was also pretty sure she was a real-life witch. The woman shared with the girl all she knew, but that was not much. After the third member of their clan died, Jael’s son decided to lead his people away. A group of about two hundred and fifty people moved out. They regretted this decision the first night on the road: the attacker went after them. There was never a trail to follow, only the remains of a next victim: a body drained of blood, with the insides ripped out and eaten. The runaways had nothing else left but to keep watch at nights and move forward: the gypsies back at the shanty town in Jarovnice would not let them return. The cards would show Jael nothing but death and she had no hope left, until this morning she picked the Wheel of Fortune.

The day passed unexpectedly fast. A couple of times Julia caught a glimpse of Loki wandering around the campsite, or sitting at a distance reflecting on something. Loki seemed to intimidate the campers, and people would move out of his way. Julia wondered if Jael was the only one aware of Loki’s magical nature, and whether the rest of the gypsies avoided her partner due to his overall intimidating looks, or because they also sensed he was not a human.

It the evening they received a hot meal over at Jael’s tent - the only one resembling a gypsy colorful marquee Julia remembered from old movies. After that the fortune-teller’s granddaughter showed them to a small tent at the outskirts of the camp.

Frankly speaking, Julia was disoriented. She did not expect their crusade against evil creature to turn into a camping trip. And now Loki and herself ended up in a tent in the centre of a gypsy encampment, and the girl had no idea for how long. Julia had no toothbrush, she barely touched her dinner, and she was still freaking out after the morning stand-off with Kalashnikov guns. The girl sat on the floor hugging her knees and stared at Loki.

Even if he was confused or angry about the turn their journey took, one could not tell. The man stretched out on his cot in a relaxed position, hands behind his head, and mindlessly stared at the scruffy tent canopy lighted by the uneven glimmer of a fen-fire. His heavy leather coat was folded on the floor by the entrance. He must have felt her gaze, because with a sigh Loki turned his head to a side:

"What?"

Julia realized she had been staring for the last couple of minutes at least, and energetically shook her head, slightly blushing with embarrassment:

"Nothing. You don’t look worried, that’s all."  
"Why should I?" Loki sat up, leaning on his elbow. "Even without my weapons I can walk out of this bear garden unharmed at any moment. If these people feel more secure like this, so be it - I have no intention to scare them, they are already on the verge of insanity. You do not need to worry as well, your survival is not at stake."  
"That’s comforting, but I did not intend to stay overnight and the change of plans bothers me. Can’t you hypnotize and interrogate each and every of them and quickly deduce who hunts the caravan?"

Loki pondered for a moment before responding:

"I do not think this will work. There were no eyewitnesses of attacks, the only thing people saw were dead massacred bodies; and what they saw they already told you willingly. The only option is to wait and watch. Tonight the moon is bright, and we can sleep. If tomorrow the night is cloudy, the creature might hunt, and with a bit of luck we will be off soon."

Julia rolled her eyes.

"I really hope so. A night out in the wild with gypsies is not my dream vacation."

She heard Loki chuckle as he lay back on the cot.

"When we went hunting with my step-brother, sometimes we stayed for a night in the forest." Julia gave the man a surprised look as he started to speak. "There were days when we cared to take a tent with us, and there were days when we did not - then I would stay restless till morning and watch the stars in the sky."

While telling this, Loki lazily waved his hand in the air, and the uneven light of the will-o-the-wisp faded. Instead, Julia saw shades of tall trees on the tent sides and felt the chilly fresh air of the night move her hair. One after another, she watched unfamiliar constellations shine with cold distant light above their heads.

Loki ceased to speak, and the magical illusion slowly faded. Julia remembered to breathe again and happily smiled at Loki, forgetting for a moment about the Kalashnikov morning incident, and about the reason why they are here, and even about the contract being the only thing holding Loki from killing her. Reaching for her backpack she remembered it all, and the magical bliss was gone.

"Got it!" Julia shook a bag of M&M’s in the air. Loki gave her an interested look. "I thought I would die of hunger here. I don’t know what the stew was made of, but I’m pretty sure I saw a guy loafing around the cauldron with a dead hedgehog."

She handed the open bag of sweets to her companion.

"Take a green one," Julia suggested.  
"But don't they taste the same?" Loki asked her, suspiciously studying the contents of the package.  
"Green ones taste better," Julia smiled, sitting indian-style on her cot.  
"You do realize that if we stay here for one more night, you will have no choice but to try the _hedgehog stew_?" - Loki asked with a sneer and fetched a sweet from the bag. "Unless you have an entire backpack filled with food. But in case you do, I demand my share."

Julia snorted and generously let him eat the green ones first, and then the rest.  
\----------  
On the next day Julia was too hungry to reject the meal, whatever animal ended up in the cauldron. The day passed fast: the girl tried talking to the gypsies despite the language barrier, mixing up Polish words with similar Slovak ones and learning the basics of Romani; she watched them laugh, argue and nap; and she lost sight of Loki again. As the sun went down, and the silvery haze crept towards the camp, the girl bundled up in a jacket, sat by Jael’s tent and watched the fire.

Julia flinched, as someone put a hand on her shoulder. The fortune-teller was standing by her side.

"You puzzle me," the woman spoke. "You tamed a magical creature, but you asked nothing for yourself. You walk with a mighty servant by your side, but your heart is full of fear. When I was young I feared nothing, and I never thought what is good for others. What scares you?"

The girl hesitated. Loki? End of the world? The responsibility she shouldered?

"The future, I guess," she shrugged.  
"One should never be afraid of future," Jael said with pity. "Come with me."

Julia glanced at her wristwatch and got up. Despite darkness, it was not late yet, and she followed the woman into the tent. Jael welcomed Julia to a low table where the old dark tarot cards were spread in a fan face-down.

"Oh… Thanks, but I'll pass. It seems that I already know my future," Julia refused jokingly and took a step towards the door, but the woman grabbed the girl by the hand and held.  
"Only the cards know. You say you are afraid, but you are scared because you do not see what waits for you. When you know, there is no fear left. My cards never lie. Come and choose one."

The eyes of the gypsy were so dark that it seemed there is no iris around the pupils. Julia felt like she was looking into a deep well.

"Choose, but do not rush. Let your card call for you." The woman whispered and went round the table to sit down.

Julia could not help but feel a sudden chill as she locked the eyes with the gypsy again. She approached the table and lowered herself on a chair, and with one finger pushed a card towards the woman. The fortune-teller nodded and left it in the centre of the table, tossing the rest and spreading the deck on the table. Julia watched the gypsy, hypnotized by the glimmer of a candle and the agile moves of woman’s hands.

The fortune-teller gently stroked the fan of cards with the tips of her fingers, and put three of them to the left of Julia face-down. _Her past._  
Then Jael took three more cards, and lay them down in front of Julia to cover the single card she had chosen at the beginning. _Her present._  
Julia felt a tight knot in her stomach as the gypsy reached for three more cards. _Her future._ Now Julia actually wanted the fortune-teller to turn over the cards and read her destiny. The girl leaned forward.

A sudden shriek broke the peaceful silence of the night. Julia jerked in surprise and wobbled on the unstable chair, accidently kicking the table with her knee and clutching over its side to regain balance. Several cards flitted on the floor.

"Sorry!" Julia stretched her hand towards the remaining cards to put them back in place: the past, the present and the future now mixed-up all together.  
"No, don’t touch," the gypsy uttered sharply. For some time she studied the disarray in silence. Julia froze mid-movement, watching the woman with surprise. "My cards never lie. This must be your fate and your future. I will not toss the cards again for you."

The gypsy left the tent, joining the nervous hum of the campsite. Julia sat on the chair and stared at the cards scattered on the small table and on the floor. They were everywhere, the ones she recognized and the ones she didn’t: the Tower, the Sun, the Fool and many more.

But there also were three, spread in a perfect neat fan in the centre of the table, as if someone had deliberately put them on top.  
_The World, Death, and The Devil._

Julia snapped out of the trance and realized there were screams outside the tent. Her watch showed midnight. The girl opened the canopy to see people running around; some woman was crying in the distance. All of a sudden someone pulled her out of the tent.

"What happened to you?" Loki attentively scanned her with his eyes."You look like you have seen the dead rise."

_Speak of The Devil._

"Sort of," Julia wheezed out. "Fortune-telling gone wrong. What’s going on?"

The girl jumped back to make way to a group of men walking in a hurry towards a crowd gathering around one of the bigger tents.

"The children of their leader woke up to witness a monster in their tent." Loki replied.

They approached the crowd. Julia stood on tiptoe and jumped up a couple of times, struggling to catch out something from behind the backs. She felt a light touch on her shoulder and turned around to face a black leather coat and a grey tunic.

"They are all alive, unharmed but very scared," Loki reported, looking above the heads of the crowd.

Julia tilted her head back to look up at the man.

"Let's find Jael," she suggested. Loki nodded and circled the crowd, trying to spot out the woman.

Three children, two girls and one boy, scared and pale, were crying and gibbering, holding tightly to the mother. The fortune-teller stood by their side with her hands clutched together so tightly that the dark skin turned pale. Loki stopped at a distance under hostile gaze of the gypsies, and Julia approached the group alone.  


\----------  


An hour later Julia left the brightly-lit central part of the camp and walked towards their tent. The whole caravan was awake. She found Loki by the entrance and sat down by his side with a sigh.

"Her grandchildren woke up to a howl. They saw the monster leaning over the the bed of the boy, something big and dark. Basically that’s it: they got scared, screamed and panicked, and in the fuss the creature disappeared."  
"They saw it?" Loki asked, and Julia saw him relax as she nodded. "This is some good news. I will look into their memories and we will know what beast we are after."  
"This… this is the problem." Julia replied gingerly. "They would rather you didn't."

Loki frowned.

"This would let us solve the problem faster. You should have told her..."  
"I told her, believe me." Julia brushed her hand through the hair. "I used all arguments and reasoning I could come up with."  
"And?"  
"And _'if the filthy creature tries to approach the poor children she will rip its dark heart with her bare hands, and her son will tear apart and burn the body'_ , not to mention threats to curse with misfortune your kindred and future children..."

The man clenched his jaw. Julia anxiously moved away.

"We must hunt the beast anyway," Loki said after a pause. "Try to sleep at daytime."  


\----------  


"I am a lousy Sherlock." Julia complained. She occupied nearly all the space in their tent with pieces of paper and notes, and Loki had no other choice but to move to the corner. "Let’s try to sort it out again. We have an old woman who is literally a living dead; no one here remembers how old she is. She can be a vampire. We also have a young man with half the hair grey, and legends say the first sign of a living dead is grey hair when young. And there is this young widow whose husband drowned, and she’s pretty hot, and the other women hate her..."

Loki reached out for the nearest note and studied Julia’s scribbles.

"This one concerns children. Frankly speaking, I am suspecting a conspiracy," she caught Loki’s confused look and explained, "I mean, Jael’s grandson, the boy who got attacked today, is the son of their leader. The _only_ son, and they are very scared of losing him, after he got pneumonia they even bought a VIP healthcare package… What if someone wants to wipe out their bloodline and take their place?"  
"What about the previous victims, then?" Loki asked her. "I am more concerned of the fact that the attacked boy does not remember a thing, and the gypsies would not let me close to the other two children. A vampire cannot hypnotize, the being is not powerful at mind magic. We might be looking for the wrong creature."  
"Well, you were the one who pre-selected the vampire from a bunch of evil spirits," Julia huffed. "Tell me then, what kind of creature could put a boy in a trance so deep that he would not wake up to screams of two terrified children? I mean, they yelled like hell!"  
"I could," Loki mused. "And I also know how much power and effort it takes - though I cannot imagine a sorcerer who would terrorize a gypsy caravan and devour human flesh."  
\----------  
The next day passed in tension and silence; there was no more music or laughter, and the silence felt eerie, like a calm before the storm. Julia fell asleep before sunset with terrible headache from countless “what ifs”. Her phone battery died as she tried (and failed) to find a Balkan evil spirit that would fit their profile. She woke up a couple times - Loki wasn’t there, the empty tent filled with crimson light of the setting sun - and the hum of the encampment would lull her back to sleep. When she finally snapped out of the anxious swirl of dreams filled with bloodlust teeth and sharp claws tearing her apart, it was dark. No Loki, no magical fires dancing under the ceiling, and silence of the night tightly embracing the tent from the outside. In light of recent events Julia would prefer Loki to keep her company.

She tried to feel around for the flashlight, and jerked as one of the notes left on the floor rustled loudly under her hand. When the sound faded, Julia discerned quiet steps in the darkness outside the tent. She froze, thinking hastily if she should scream or stay silent. The steps were approaching.

Julia curled up on the cot, pressing her back closer to the tentside, and gave herself away with the rustle of another scrap of paper. The steps stopped, and then rushed forward faster, and in the thick darkness Julia saw the canvas covering the entrance move.

She screamed, covering her face and hunching up in the corner, and howled, and even kicked the monster a couple of times before it grabbed her in its claws. Apparently, evil beasts swear before devouring their prey. _So many things yet to learn._

"Will you shut up!?" the monster angrily growled in Loki’s voice and gave Julia a violent shake. She was shivering, mindlessly blinking at the man’s dark figure in front of her. Loki sighed and let go of the girl. "Calm down. I need to hear your opinion."

Julia squeezed her eyes shut as the small fen-fire appeared above their heads and blinded her.

"You said that the boy got very sick," Loki said and she nodded, covering her eyes. "Tell me about this."  
"About three weeks ago he got some sort of killer pneumonia with complications. Everyone thought he would die, the Rom Baro was desperate. They took him to the hospital; probably got some treatment and medication because the boy is alive and well now..."  
"I think he is not," Loki interrupted her.  
"What do you mean?" Julia asked, still sleepy and disoriented.

Loki brushed fingers through his hair, hesitating.

"I have an idea. Remember the list of beasts we studied back at your house?" He waited for a nod and went on. "There was one named Strzyga ** _(7)_**. A child born with two souls in one body. When one dies, the other takes over the body, but in order to survive it would change into a monster at night and suck out the blood of living creatures."  
"So, you think the one who returned from the hospital is the other soul? Which now has to feed on flesh as the boy died?"  
"Yes, exactly," Loki replied. "This would explain why the boy didn't remember seeing the creature the night before: he _was_ the creature."  
"And he wouldn't remember the night hunts… And this is why the attacks continue since they packed up and left…" Julia flung up her hands. "This makes sense! Wait, no… Strzyga would have two rows of teeth. I think his mom would have noticed, I mean… they brush the teeth, right?"  
"I sincerely doubt that, taking into consideration the overall… lack of sanitation," Loki huffed.

Julia snorted at his evasive definition for the mess and dirt around them.

"All right, we have a theory, what’s next?"  
"We go and see if we're right." The man replied. "Come."

Loki and Julia strode through the encampment, followed by the eyes of silent and scared people. As they approached the central part, from a distance Julia saw the gunmen, more than a dozen, patrolling the hut of the Rom Baro and his family. The girl looked behind her back and noticed that the people were leaving the tents and following them. _They are not planning to sacrifice the two strangers to the evil spirit, right?_

The guards stepped forward and pointed the guns at Julia. She stopped.

"Where is the boy?" Loki asked in a loud voice, proceeding forward despite the guns. "Where is the child attacked by the creature?"  
"Prestať, diabol!" ** _(8)_** the man cried out and stepped forward as well.  
"I need to speak to your witch," Loki continued, attentively watching the faces of people gathered around.

One of the gunmen backed off and disappeared in the leader’s hut. The crowd around them buzzed nervously, as Loki and Julia waited. Finally the fortune-teller emerged from the dwelling, and at the sight of Loki her eyes narrowed.

"What is going on?" She cried out, approaching them with fast steps. "Why do you come threatening my men? I told you to stay away…"  
"Where is the child?" Loki interrupted her impatiently and stepped forward.  
"Stay back!" The gypsy hissed. The armed men circled them from every side now, ready to shoot.

Julia squeezed her eyes shut, hoping for this stand-off not to end in a bloodshed. Loki slowly raised his hands up in the air:

"I do not mean any harm for you or your kin. I know what hunts your people, and I can help. The only thing I ask from you is to go inside and check, if the boy is in his bed. Can you do this?"

The gypsy hesitated. She turned back to a girl peeking out of the hut and tossed her head. The girl nodded and disappeared inside. The seconds felt like hours, till the dead silence was broken by a loud desperate scream. The boy was gone.

This single spark was enough for the crowd to panic. The boy's mother darted out of the hut in tears, and women around her cried and howled, pressing their children closer. People were leaving their tents, dragging out families and running towards the woods, some were starting cars, bright headlights cutting through the darkness of the night. The encampment turned into a howling, terrified, chaotic anthill. A dark silhouette suddenly flashed through the sky, overshadowing the glimmer of stars. Someone at a distance screamed, and a body was lifted into the air.

"Stay close to me." Loki firmly pressed Julia to his side and dragged her out of the turmoil. They wormed out of the mob into a narrow passage between two tents.  
"What are they doing?! They need to stay together in one place!" Nervously exclaimed Julia.  
"Go on, tell them," Loki snapped. "They surely will listen to you."

Julia gave him a fierce look and punched the man in the ribs. Loki ignored the punch and suddenly caught her by the chin and turned her head to a side. Julia panicked.

"What…? Don't touch me!" Julia snarled and tried to jink away from his fingers, but Loki reached for a long metal pin holding her hair and pulled it out. The girl hissed in pain as he tore out some hairs.  
"They took away my weapons, but I need one," Loki said, as if it explained anything, and let her go.

Julia watched him throw a pin high into the air. It turned over a couple of times when falling, and when Loki caught the object, there was a knife in his hand instead of a hairpin.

"What should we do?" Julia asked impatiently.  
"Hunt." He responded shortly and slashed his left palm with the knife.

The girl gasped and jumped back, startled and scared. Loki locked eyes with the girl and suddenly gave her a wide grin:

"You think I went crazy?" He asked with a laugh. "The spirit craves blood. It is the easiest way to draw him away from the people. Move."

Julia followed Loki, trying to keep a distance and watching him brush the injured hand over the tents and cars along the way, leaving traces of blood. He actually did look insane now, the adrenaline and the rush animating his face with a predatory grin. They were moving fast through the campsite and towards the woods, away from the turmoil and lights, and the high-pitched shriek above their heads told Julia, that the creature followed.

After the brightly-lit campsite the darkness of the forest seemed impenetrable; the girl hesitated for a moment and lost sight of Loki’s silhouette. Julia heard screams behind her back, and some man waded through the thicket, nearly stumbling upon her. The wings swished above the girl’s head, and she darted into the thick barbed bush, covering her face. The creature’s shriek behind her back melded with the scream of the victim. Julia heard the crack of bones and the awful loud chaw. She rushed through the shrub, trying to get as far away as possible, and crouched by a tall tree. There was silence behind her: the creature must have devoured the victim and left to hunt the others. Julia breathed deeply to calm herself down and stood straight to proceed after Loki. She stepped from under the tree into the clearing and froze: with a soft soughing sound the Strzyga landed on the grass, no more than five steps separating it from Julia.

The creature seemed fragile and gnarled, with a small body of a child and unnaturally long skeletal hands ending in sharp claws. Its wide soft wings were reaching the ground, and the dark feathers swept the grass as the beast made a wobbly step towards the girl and stepped out of the tree shadow.

The face of Strzyga was terrifying. The creature had a head of a seven-year old boy. The child’s eyes were firmly shut, as if he was sleepwalking, and the lips and cheeks covered in fresh blood. Julia winced as she saw the nostrils of the monster move, and with another step towards her Strzyga slowly opened its mouth. The lower jaw went down, the child’s mouth opened unnaturally wide, and she saw sharp curved fangs filling the maw of the beast.

"Run!" she heard Loki cry from behind her back, and the man leaped at the beast, pushing the girl aside.

Loki grabbed the creature’s neck and smashed the monster on the nearest tree trunk. With a snap of jaws Strzyga wrenched, and Loki quickly pulled the wounded hand away from the creature which blindly darted forward to follow the smell of fresh blood. Even though the creature was not big, its strength seemed to equal Loki’s, and a strong flap of wings nearly lifted them both into the air.

Julia nearly got eaten alive a moment ago and the being was clearly dangerous, but she couldn’t let Loki kill a little child. The boy was only one year older than her brother. The gypsies seem to have their way with magic, they can fix the boy, if only Julia and Loki are able to restrain him.

"Don't kill him!" She yelled.  
"You got a better idea?" Loki grunted, trying to cover the face with a sleeve from the sharp claws of the creature aiming at the eyes.

She actually did.

"Yes! Wait here!" Julia ran back towards the camp through tall grass, followed by muffled swearing and sounds of fight.

Julia saw a car right at the edge of the forest, an old jeep with its bonnet deep in the bushes. The windshield was cracked and stained with blood, and the girl tried not to imagine what happened to the driver. The keys were in. Julia jumped on the seat and started the car. She backed and revved up the engine, driving off into the forest, the headlights cutting through the darkness.

The jeep rammed the underwood with a roar and dove out of the bush into the clearing. The bright light caught out Loki’s figure, a glimpse of dark feathers, and Julia sharply turned the wheel left in order to avoid a collision. She squeezed the eyes shut at the sight of a tree trunk in front of her, and felt a rough jolt as the car hit the tree. Julia hit the wheel with the chest and gasped, unable to breathe.

"Bright light harms it!" She rasped. With effort Loki pulled the creature towards the beams of headlights and winced at the deafening sound of car honk as Julia hit the wheel with both hands.

Strzyga was struggling, its wings flapping and sharp claws digging into the man holding the creature. As the stream of light hit it's face, the being screeched and yanked convulsively in pain. Julia hit the signal once more and ran towards the edge of the forest, shouting and waving at a group of people she saw from a distance.

When Julia and the gypsies following her approached the clearing, the creature was undergoing a change. The long talons were pulling into the fingertips, likewise the claws of a wild cat. Feathers from wings flattered on the floor. Jaws snapped the air, missing Loki’s hand only by a couple of centimeters. In the uneven light of flashlights one could see the two rows of fangs hide into the gums. When the transformation was complete, the child’s body shuddered once more in Loki's hands, and the boy was still.  


\----------  


They did not wait till sunrise. In the darkness of the night Loki and Julia stood at the outskirts of the campsite, facing a group of gypsies.

"Leave and do not look back," the fortune-teller uttered, shivering and clutching her hands together. One of the men handed over to Loki a bundle with his weapons. "We will bury our dead and deal with the creature."  
"Deal?..." Julia frowned with suspicion. She means _cure_? She won't kill her only grandson, right?

Loki did not let her speak. He nodded at the woman, grabbed his knives, caught Julia by the hand and quickly walked forward, leaving behind the gypsy encampment. Within fifteen minutes of fast march they left the camp far behind. When the the hum and rumble was inaudible, Loki walked slower and Julia did not have to trot anymore to catch up with his pace.

"Wait, stop! Stop pulling me!" Julia jibbed, vainly trying to wriggle out of his clutch. "Let go!"

The man stopped and unclenched his grip. Julia groaned, rubbing the numb wrist.

"What?" Loki asked, voice bitter and irky.  
"We need to go back! We have to help…"  
"We already helped."  
"No, the child… They will kill him! We need to do something! He’s… he’s only seven!" Julia went on hastily. "I thought they will cure him, but… I will call the police! They can’t kill him!"

She tried to turn back, but Loki caught her by the forearm and held.

"Listen close," he hissed and shook her. "They _can_ and they _will_. I would have killed the creature if you hadn't stopped me, so the boy’s fate is already determined. It is not a child, it is a monster which massacred a dozen people. You cannot help him."  
"No!" Julia squealed angrily. "You just don't want to help! Let me go, you fucking twisted bastard!"  
"Shut up!" Loki roared, and his face twitched. The grip on the girl’s forearm got tighter and Julia felt that his hands were shaking. "You think I am enjoying it?! Sometimes you have to do the hard choice. Yes, it is difficult, and it hurts, but you cannot avoid this, you knew it the moment you decided to step on this path! If you are capable to tread on, we shall leave and not turn back, and let the people kill the beast. But if you are not strong enough, speak once and for all, and release me from my promise!"

Julia bit her lip and lowered her head. Loki’s boots became blurry; she blinked several times till the tears were gone.

"Let’s go," she whispered and darted forward, wiping off tears. They were passing beautiful meadows and peaceful groves. The stars were fading, and in the east the sky was slowly turning pale pink. The first birds woke up. The nature was celebrating spring, but the manifesto of life and joy did not amaze Julia.

Loki followed her in silence.


	10. Kiss me, I'm Irish!

Julia made it to the office at 9 A.M. sharp, only stopping by for a quick shower. Despite three sleepless nights she did not feel tired, but could not concentrate on anything, and for the whole day the girl mindlessly stared at the computer screen, crushed with guilt and remorse. In the gym after work the usual running playlist did not seem fast enough, and Julia ran till she could not feel her legs, till black spots started to blur her sight.

 _You think I’m enjoying it?_ \- Loki had shouted at her. Julia wouldn't be certain that he was, but she could not say for sure that he wasn't. How many people did they say he killed upon his glorious descend to the Other Midgard, eighty? Condemning one child to death should not move him.

The understanding of the irony came to her as a sudden revelation, and Julia laughed aloud, scaring off a couple of girls in the locker room. By the twisted will of fate Loki is forced to risk his life in order to save and protect the weak and primitive humans. This must be so confusing for him.

On Wednesday Loki arrived late. Julia noticed dark spots under his eyes; and from the way he sunk into the armchair without a word and tilted his head back, closing his eyes, she could surely tell he was deadly tired. The girl hazily shifted on her feet, observing him.

"I am not asleep," Loki declared, opening one eye and peeking at her under dark eyelashes.  
"You all right?" Julia sat on the couch and pulled up her legs, getting comfortable. "Are you tired because of... Allfather stuff?"

Loki softly chuckled.

"Yes, my Allfather stuff will be taking quite a lot of time for the following week at least." He stretched his legs forward, under the glass table. "And you probably are dying to find out what I am up to?"

Julia stretched out on the couch and leaned on her elbow on a side.

"Let me think: yes and no. I am very tempted to learn more about the fairytale kingdom of Asgard, but at the same time I am pretty sure you will end up teasing me and bringing to my attention how much you hate worthless pathetic humans like myself. Isn't it so?"  
"You expect of me so little," Loki drawled and sat up straight. Julia could swear she heard slight disappointment in his voice, as if he _wanted_ to talk to her.

And then she realized, that he actually did. It must be difficult to walk among all the living beings in the Nine, Ten, and many more Realms, not being able to share with anyone what troubles you, even if you are a several-thousand years old ice giant who usurped the throne of Asgard and shouldered a struggle to prevent the end of days. From what she could tell, among all those who ever crossed paths with Loki, only a few knew about his Allfather masquerade and the consequences it entailed. The girl understood his need for secrecy, their crusade against magical monsters being an episode never to be shared with anyone, unless she wants to end up in a mental institution.

"I am under impression that you are too tired to be wicked," Julia sneered at him. "I will take advantage of it. Speak."  
"I simply respect your desire to learn more," Loki returned a sneer. "Thus, next week I shall respond to the Council for my deeds and decisions within the period when I ruled the kingdom as Allfather. Until that time all that I have started must be completed, all laws approved and signed, all major initiatives brought to end, so that my rule could be assessed."  
"Speaking human: this is the end of your probation period, and you are getting ready for the performance review?" Julia summarized, and Loki nodded. "What if the Council thinks you failed? Will they make you resign?"  
"Let them try," he said calmly, but the ice in his voice gave Julia chills. "Though I see no reason for any member of the Elders to question my credibility and achievements. Not the trial itself troubles me, yet the need to oversee the completion of all initiatives before it starts. Some time ago I initiated a law reform because legal system of Asgard is rather archaic. Finalizing it takes a lot of time."

Loki rubbed the bridge of his nose and sat straight.

"In any event, you have my undivided attention now," he drawled mockingly. "We are heading to Ireland, isn’t it so?"  
"No, we are not." Julia said. The man looked at her with surprise, and she went on: "Next week, maybe, after you are done with your performance evaluation. I mean, I already forced you into part-time monster hunting, I don’t want to put your political career at stake. Take your time, get ready, and when you are done, we will be heading for Ireland. I need to request a time-off in advance, anyway."

Loki studied her for a longer moment, and then got up. From his unchanged expression Julia could not make out, whether he approved of her proposition to reschedule, and whether it even made any difference for him. She felt insanely awkward as he headed out of the living room without a single word. The man stopped by the front door and turned to face the girl.

"I appreciate your understanding," Loki said with a small bow.

\----------

This time Julia was well prepared: she had her toothbrush, a change of clothes, and a room booked in a small family-run inn in a picturesque settlement not far away from the town of Thurles. They were up to solve the economic crime of the century: all over Ireland there had been bizarre reportings of money dissolving into thin air, leaving only ashes in the owners’ purses. The girl did a research any policeman would be proud of and limited their search of a trouble source to a small village in County Tipperary, where the number of reported incidents was overwhelmingly high. Some locals even stood trial for money fraud and topped the local news as “Tipperary fraudsters”.

Julia listened to the wheels of her suitcase thrum an uplifting energetic rhythm on the paving stones of the main street. It almost felt like a vacation. Loki strode by her side with a bag resembling a military satchel on his shoulder, his eyes attentively scanning the surroundings.

The people in the streets were smiley and slow. It was Friday evening, what else would she expect?! They talked to each other, they sat on pouches, they pottered about in front yards and looked so careless and happy that Julia felt a pinch of envy. The dwellers of the village seemed so stereotypically Irish that she wondered, if the place was real at all, or a scene for marketing campaign. A ginger woman gave her a smile, a ginger mechanic took a sip of beer from a bottle placed on car bonnet, a flock of ginger kids ran across the street with careless laughter.

Even the fat cats were ginger.

Julia smiled. She liked it here very much.

She sat down in the lobby of the inn playing with her keys and watched Loki’s back as he conversed with the owner, a smiley balding man in his fifties. It was taking long, and at the sight of the man at the counter helplessly shrugging his shoulders Julia wondered if she should engage, but suddenly the owner froze for a second, and his brown eyes turned icy blue. He slowly nodded to something Loki told him, and handed him a key and a paper to sign.

"Did you just hypnotize him into letting you in?" Julia asked with suspicion, as Loki finally approached her with a key in his hands.  
"A little," he confessed. "It turns out this settlement has recently become a rather popular agritourism destination, whatever this means. It is strange, the place does not look attractive to me. Unfortunately, there was no reservation for my name, so I had to take the room of Mr. Leroy."

Julia frowned.

"Agritourism means that you pay for staying in rural area, feed cows, shave sheep, gather crops, and help the owners cook. People from big cities go on such trips to unite with nature," Loki huffed with disbelief as she spoke. "It’s not nice to steal someone’s booking. And I didn’t know that you can exchange Asgardian currency to Euros. Did you pay him at all?"  
"I paid with gold," he snapped with irritation, rolling his eyes. "Enough to buy this entire hovel with all rooms, sheep and cows. And as for Mr. Leroy who wished to unite with nature, he is ten minutes late, his reservation just expired anyway."

They walked up the stairs and along the corridor with wooden doors painted jolly yellow with shiny brass numbers on them. Loki stuck his key into the hole of a door opposite to hers and looked at Julia over the shoulder:

"Fifteen minutes, downstairs."

He did not care to wait for her consent and closed the door behind his back.

The girl paced her room a couple of times, tried the TV and decided that embracing the local culture was her only option for tonight. Julia and Loki opened the doors of their rooms at the same time, and the man rolled his eyes upon seeing her again, but said nothing as they went down the stars side by side.

The inn must have been the guesthouse and the most popular local pub at the same time. Julia lingered at the stairs, watching the dining area filled with red-haired people of all ages, young and old, men and women, drinking, laughing and chatting. Loki studied the bar with interest, but pursed his lips as he glanced upon the folk.

"Second tap to the left," Julia advised him, and walked towards a small empty table in the corner.

Loki sat down at the opposite side of the table and cocked his head to a side.

"I thought that you have never been to this place before."  
"I read Tripadvisor reviews, " Julia explained, putting her phone on the table. "They have some good beer here. Second tap to the left is killer, mainly the reason why the village got so popular recently. New in production, but absolutely worth trying. I don’t need to rely on my own experience to say that."  
"And you will believe the information shared by someone you don’t even know is trustworthy or not?"  
"Not quite. I would take this opinion as reference and check if what the guy says is true."  
"Pathetic." Loki made a verdict and studied the public.  
"This is what people use the Internet for," Julia shrugged. "And… a couple of other things you don’t want to know about."

A sly smirk on his lips told Julia that Loki could have a certain idea.

Julia dipped the tea bag in her cup and sighed as she watched the Asgardian approach the bar. The cold she caught after Spanish rains wouldn't let go of her, and for almost three weeks her physician has been treating her coughing fits with antibiotics. She slightly envied Loki the misted pint of cold beer. Unfortunately her meds could not be mixed with alcohol.

The beer must have been really good, because after the first glass Loki went for a refill.

\----------

Apparently, Loki was an early bird. When Julia walked down the stairs to the dining area, her companion was sitting by the window, an empty plate and cup on the table in front of him and a newspaper in his hands.

Loki looked up from the newspaper and smiled at Julia.

She stopped abruptly, as if she had hit the wall, and blinked several times just to make sure that what she had witnessed was real. He did not smirk wickedly, nor grin in his usual unfriendly way. He just _smiled_ , and leaned back on the chair, his position relaxed and reclined, and turned over the page of a paper.

Someone must have been in an exceptionally good mood.

Julia approached the table and he looked up from the newspaper again.

"Finally," Loki spoke with slight irritation. "I thought that we were supposed to meet early."  
"Seven-thirty is early," Julia mumbled and lowered herself on a chair. "When did you wake up?"  
"Before six."  
"Sorry," she actually was. Julia always wore a wristwatch but never saw one on Loki - how did he measure time anyway?  
"Do not worry. Get some breakfast, I will wait for you outside."

He left the folded paper on the table and walked out.

No teasing. No sarcasm. No “you-pathetic-Midgardian”. Julia almost felt worried. Maybe Loki embraced the overall relaxed atmosphere of the Irish countryside and decided to take a vacation from being his usual self. She shrugged and walked towards the counter to get some breakfast.

The girl recovered from her morning bewilderment only to be shocked again. When she passed the lobby and stopped at the front door of the inn, she saw Loki sitting on a fence in a neat garden. The Asgardian was squinting in the sun and discussing something with a tall ginger man shouldering a long gun. From a distance Julia caught out a phrase or two about fallow deer and population of foxes. For a couple of minutes she watched Loki, his face animated with a light smile and hair in a slight mess as he brushed his fingers through it a couple of times. The man was balancing on the fence, waving his hands in the air as he spoke, each movement well-considered and smooth. With surprise Julia realized, that not a single time did Loki show a sign of disgust or arrogance, the hunting debate completely taking the attention of both men. A vacation was surely doing him good.

Julia wondered whether this time together in the countryside would shed some light on the unexplored secret angles of Loki’s personality. What next, saving kittens from tall trees? The girl giggled at the idea.

It took them only five hours to roam through the settlement and the green valley back and forth. There were apple gardens, and sheep, and vast fields with stringed hopyards ready for growing hops, and more sheep as far as eye could reach. The locals seemed to lead a calm and decent life of farmers.

"They don’t seem like fraudsters to me." Julia finally voiced her opinion, as they took a break from the stroll and leaned over a wooden fence. A huge flock of sheep was roaming over a meadow, feeding on the green grass. "Maybe it’s all a big mistake?"

Loki sighed.

"If I understand correctly, the dissolving money comes from this settlement, so there can be no mistake. I can sense magic, but it is spread everywhere, there is no clear trail to follow. Though for sure the villagers are not the ones guilty."

This time they did not have to ponder over the list of suspects for long: a leprechaun was the best match on a long list of Irish fairy and magical folk. The only thing left to do was to unravel how the fairy could have cursed all ATM machines in the village into spitting out money which disappeared into thin air after the transaction had been made.

As they walked back to the guesthouse the sky got cloudy. It was about to rain - the Irish weather was living up to the forecast. Julia shivered under a gust of cold wind and suddenly felt a light touch on her forearm, and when she stopped and turned back, a heavy leather coat covered her shoulders. She wobbled under its weight and stared at Loki in shock.

"What are you doing?..." The girl squeaked and tried to move away as he adjusted the cloak on her shoulders.  
"You have not recovered from a cold yet, and you are freezing," Loki shrugged. The chilly wind did not seem to bother him, he seemed to be pretty comfortable in a long green tunic. "Come, we’d better return to the hostelry before the rain."

He proceeded along the road under the first heavy drops of spring rain, and Julia followed Loki after a moment of hesitation, his heavy cloak restraining her movements. Even if he was in a good mood, this was an overkill. _Too nice._

As they made it through the doors of the inn and were greeted by the owner, Julia tossed a wet coat at Loki with a muffled "thank you " and ran up the stairs to hide behind the yellow door of her room. She was nervous and frustrated by his behaviour.

It poured for the whole day. Julia was dying of boredom, but she considered staying in the confines of her room a better option that meeting Loki downstairs. By sunset hunger twitched her stomach and made Julia crawl out of the room and look for sustenance. In the evening the dining area was full and lit with candle fire, same as the night before. Julia studied the men over at the pub, the jolly crowd occupying the round tables, and felt her jaw drop in surprise when she saw Loki at one of the tables with two beautiful redheads by his sides. The girls were laughing, smiling and from the way they pressed themselves to his sides - obviously interested in further acquaintance with the tall handsome stranger. The shocking thing was that Loki did not seem to mind, his arms stretched along the back of the wooden bench and an indulging smile curving his lips as he listened to the girls talk. What on Earth had happened to the “filthy Midgardians”?!

"Who are you, and where did you hide the body of your evil twin?" Julia whispered.

As if he could hear her, the Asgardian looked up, and their eyes met. He smiled at Julia, and she watched him get up and make his way past the left redhead who seemed rather disappointed by the loss of a companion.

"Are you done hiding, sweet bird?" he asked, approaching the stairs and looking at the girl, their eyes at the same level as she stood on the second step. Julia swallowed and fought an urge to take a step up the stairs. And then another one. And then run away and lock the door.  
"I think so," she replied with caution, studying the man. He looked the same as yesterday, and last week, and the week before - and yet different. "Are you feeling well?"

Loki frowned a bit.

"I think so." he said. "What makes you think that I am unwell?"

Julia shook her head. _Oh, maybe the fact that you are about to get lucky with a couple of Midgardians you despise?_

"Will you care to join me for dinner?" Loki asked, watching her walk down the stairs.  
"Don’t you have company already?" Julia muttered, and stared at the Asgardian in wonder as he laughed aloud.  
"I would not call that company," he confessed, leaning closer to her, and Julia felt his warm breath on her neck. "The word is too strong for the creatures so dull and shallow, although my step-brother would surely appreciate the presence of such maids by his side. I prefer fellowship of a maiden who can actually keep the conversation going."

It almost sounded like a compliment. And a smile looked good on him.

"I want dinner, and a coffee," Julia said bravely instead of fleeing. Loki nodded and welcomed her to an empty table in a secluded corner. It had been occupied only a moment ago, the girl was pretty sure about that.

\----------

Julia was nervous, almost paranoid. If yesterday she would have surely said that none of these jolly relaxed fellows is capable of fraud and mischief, today she was watching each and every of them with suspicion. They seemed too merry and careless.

"We cannot waste any more time," Julia said and took a sip of orange juice. "How does a leprechaun charge ATMs with cursed money? The local bank is responsible for supplies: they drive standard armored minivans and they used to feed ATMs cash every morning, but since less and less people withdraw money the refill comes once in three days. Even though the locals wouldn't accept payments in cash, the tourists will always take out a couple of hundreds, so the business keeps going. The bank is owned by a guy called O’Brian. What does he have to do with leprechauns anyway?!"

Loki shrugged.

"What do we know about this O’Brian?" he asked.  
"He is well off, forty-six, an energetic businessman who owns the bank. He doesn't look like a leprechaun at all."  
"Why should he?!" laughed Loki. "The man is no leprechaun."  
"Then why on Earth is there magical cash in his ATMs?!" Julia growled and hit her forehead on the table. "Why on earth is this village so weird?!"  
"What exactly do you find weird?" the man sighed.

Julia looked up at him:

"Everything," she wheezed out in a dramatic voice and rammed the table again. "First, they are all too calm and happy as if they were all on drugs. Second, their ATMs are giving away magical cash you cannot use, and they simply do not care. I asked the hotel owner about that and you know what he told me? “We don't accept payments in cash, that's all” - you understand?! If I had stumbled upon magical ATMs in Warsaw I would be asking questions. Doesn't it worry you at all?"  
"No," Loki shrugged. "Whatever the dwellers of this community should be worried about, does not concern us. There is no need to be troubled, let along to crush the table with your forehead..."

Julia groaned. He was too relaxed as well.

"Now, what I think," Loki went on, "is that a fairy is in service of the bank owner."  
"No way," Julia laughed nervously. "Leprechauns don’t serve people, they trick them and hide treasures."  
"When one is trapped, he does not have much of a choice," Loki shrugged and winked at her. "From what I can tell, ice giants don’t serve people as well."

Julia blinked. If she could explain Loki being nice by fresh air and a mood swing, him speaking calmly of his heritage and of their deal was just not possible. A mixture of suspicion, fear and confusion must have reflected on her face, and Loki noticed that. He tensed up and his eyes became sharp.

"Something else troubles you. Tell me what it is."  
"Nothing important," Julia replied and quickly got up. "We should get going..."

She hissed with irritation and yanked her wrist trapped in the man’s iron grip. Loki raised his brows and slowly shook his head.

"I thought we were supposed to share information." he said. "I find it disturbing that you are violating the rules you were so willing to impose on me. Speak now, sweet bird, and I will decide for myself if it is important."

He called her that again. Julia slowly sat down and took a deep breath. Loki was definitely more amiable, but it did not change his habit of grabbing her.

"You have always reacted very... emotionally when I mentioned that you are not Asgardian of origin. Now you speak incredibly calmly about it and do not have a problem with acknowledging that you are an ice giant. The same applies to our contract; you behave as if you were fine with it… And you have been treating me nicely for the last two days."

Loki gave her an amused, almost compassionate look, and loosened the grip on her wrist.

"Would you like me not to treat you nicely?" He asked.  
"No," quickly said Julia. "It is just strange. You behave as if my company didn't bother you at all."  
"Because it does not," Loki shrugged. "You are a lovely young maid with an agile mind and a strong will. The day we met you did something I would have done myself - you turned the situation to your advantage and outsmarted me, and I respect that. Although circumstances of our acquaintance are not ideal and I would rather prefer you to be in my service, this is not the worst situation I have lived through."

Julia slowly nodded, hypnotized by Loki's soft calm voice.

"As for the contract of ours, for now I see no chance to turn it to my advantage; it does not mean that in future things will not change - but until then I accept the situation as it is." Loki said. "And regarding my nature - tell me, sweet bird, do you acknowledge that you are a human maid with brown hair? Some things cannot be changed. Even if I were unsatisfied with my fate, I would be a lunatic and a fool if I kept telling myself that I am what I can never be. I faced several complications upon my return to Asgard, and many fear me till present day, but I know that my nature is a source of abilities no Asgardian possesses, which is quite comforting."

He took a half full glass out of Julia's hand and brushed his fingers on the bottom, and the liquid inside froze.

"Now, does my response satisfy you?"

No, it did not. Loki's monologue did not explain a sudden change in his behaviour. It seemed that in a magical mysterious way Loki lost all his conceit, prejudice, anger and resentment overnight. Even the way he walked changed. Liberated from his complicated emotional baggage, the Asgardian in pure quantum state was calm, courteous, she would even say friendly. He almost behaved like a normal person now.

It did not make him any less unpredictable, though. And the fact that this _New Loki_ did not claim her to be ugly as a troll, but perceived Julia as a lovely maid, did not raise her spirits at all.

In order to change the subject the girl opened her purse and took out a twenty Euro banknote.

"This is a twenty Euro from Warsaw currency exchange. And this..." she delved in her jeans pocket and put another banknote on the table, "this one comes from ATM machine across the road. It seems that no one has used it in weeks. Now, if I understand the situation correctly, once someone uses a banknote which comes from a local ATM, it turns to ashes some time after the transaction."

Loki took both banknotes and carefully studied them.

"I can not see any difference."  
"That's the problem, no one can. And the locals won't accept cash payments at all, I had to use my credit card to buy a chewing gum today…" Julia gave Loki one banknote and took the other one. "Let's reenact."

She reached out for a salt cellar:

"I want to buy this."  
"Why?" Loki asked.  
"I mean, from you. Sell it to me. We need to make a transaction and check, if both banknotes disappear, or only the one from ATM. How much?"

Loki smiled with understanding.

"Twenty Euro." he took a banknote from Julia and put it by his side.

The girl leant forward, rested her chin on the table and locked her eyes on the banknote. She waited, but nothing happened.

"Maybe I have to hide it in a purse," Loki suggested.

Julia shrug her shoulders, hypnotising the banknote.

"Your turn!" She said, raising her eyes at the man and adjusting her head on the tabletop. "What do you want to buy from me?"

Loki narrowed his eyes, studying Julia. She saw sparks of amusement light the emerald green of his eyes, and with a sly grin he rocked back on the chair:

"A kiss."  
" _What?!_ " Julia jerked her head with surprise and hit her chin on the wooden tabletop.

Loki shrugged, a smirk curving his lips, and pushed his banknote towards Julia. The girl rubbed her chin, staring at him with suspicion, and cautiously took the money. And let out a triumphant cry, pointing at the banknote from local ATM she just gave Loki in exchange for salt cellar. Starting from a corner, the money was turning to ash, until it fully disappeared and there was a thin layer of ashes left on the table. Loki carefully touched it with his fingers, thinking over something.

"Let us pay a visit to the bank owner." He suggested.

\----------

They walked out of the canteen, and Julia took out the sunglasses: they had about two more hours of sun and blue sky left and later there would be heavy rain. From what the forecast was telling, tomorrow would be no different.

Julia quickly glanced at Loki and gasped in surprise. She finally figured out what was different about him, one small detail she hadn’t noticed before. In the warm glimmer of the sun his hair was shining with a shade of golden.

"Come here!" Julia commanded, grabbing Loki by the collar and sharply pulling him closer.

The man frowned a little with surprise, but obediently bent forward. Julia stood on tiptoes and brushed her fingers through Loki’s hair, unable to believe her own eyes. She was pretty sure that yesterday his hair was raven-black, with no copper shade.

"I have no idea what you are doing, sweet bird. But I shall allow you to continue…" Loki crooned lowly, his expression amused and interested and a smirk on his lips. "Hey!..."

Loki jerked his head and gave Julia a displeased look, as she tore out a couple of hairs. The girl bit her lip, staring at the hairs in her fingers: dark copper with a golden reflex. She could not understand a thing, but it was giving her a very bad feeling.

"Oh my God…" she whispered. "Your hair is changing…"  
"What do you mean?" Loki frowned.  
"You are turning ginger!" Julia squeaked and pulled the Asgardian towards the window of a souvenir shop. "Do you see?"

Loki brushed his fingers through the hair, studying his reflection. He turned to Julia with an irritated look:

"No, I do not. I am sure that my appearance is the same as before."  
"But you are red-haired now!"  
"And I have always been," Loki gave her a pitiful look.  
"No! No, no..." Julia howled on the verge of hysteria. "You are a brunette!"

Which one of them was going crazy?! She could swear that her companion had raven black hair, it was as obvious as the fact that she was twenty-six and a cow says “moo”. However, the certainty in Loki’s voice made the frustration unbearable.

"Shush! That's enough." Loki silenced her abruptly with an imperious wave of his hand. "I am under impression that it is you who is unwell today, sweet bird. I have seen my face in the mirror for two thousand fifty three years and I assure you, I know exactly what I look like, and my appearance is unchanged. If you calm down and promise to behave and annoy me no more, I will take you with me to see the banker, but if you don't, I will have to teach you some discipline."

Whatever he meant by that.

Julia backed away. She felt like she had ended up in some kind of Ginger Purgatory, where every living creature, including Loki, had a purpose to confuse her and drive her crazy. The girl followed her companion at a safe distance, frantically trying to come up with an explanation for this madness.

\----------

The rain outside was flooding the streets and drumming on the roofs. Julia was stressed, freezing and angry with the whole world and with the receptionist in front of her in particular.

"Since he bought the local brewery two weeks ago, he is very busy… I cannot arrange you for a meeting this week, but I will try to find a time slot next Wednesday… Sorry, another call!" The woman turned to Julia for a second only to gibber a quick apology, and grabbed another phone. "Mr. O’Brian’s office, how can I help you?"

Julia pursed her lips.

"How long?" Loki asked quietly when he saw Julia tap her fingers on the reception desk. She killed the receptionist with a fierce look and turned to her companion.  
"Twenty three minutes," the girl whispered angrily. "We can't wait for the whole day!"  
"Why wait, then?!" Loki smirked and pulled Julia away from the reception. "Come, we will take a look around for ourselves."  
"Stop, she already saw us! We can't just go inside! There is a security guy by the door…" Julia clutched on Loki’s forearm in an unsuccessful attempt to slow him down, but felt her feet slide on the floor. Loki looked at her with the corner of his eye and huffed. "Stop being irresponsible! She will call the police!"  
"I do not think so…" Loki waved his right hand at the receptionist in a careless move, and the woman abruptly stopped talking. She blinked, and her eyes turned icy blue. The woman eyed an empty hall with a confused look and pressed the phone back to her ear. "See, she has never seen us."

Loki and Julia turned round the corner and headed down a long corridor. As they proceeded, small security cameras in the corners were freezing into blocks of ice.

The corridor ended with a glass door and another lobby behind it, and one more receptionist guarding a massive ebony door with a shiny brass plate on it saying: “Mr. O’Brian. Director”.

Loki pushed the glass door and strode straight towards the director’s office, woman at the desk absolutely indifferent to the visitor.

He opened the door and made a welcoming gesture. Julia nervously looked back and sneaked into the office.

\----------

And with a splash landed in a knee-deep stream of cold water.

The forest around them looked wild and pristine, with tree trunks covered in green moss and creepers; leaves above their heads so bushy that the sky was barely visible, and peaceful sounds of birdsong filling the air.

Loki looked around, shuffled his feet in a creek, and suddenly laughed out loud. The cold water did not seem to bother him.

"Sneaky little bastard! I was wrong," Loki breathed out, tilting his head back to look at the tall treetops swaying above their heads. "A leprechaun is not in service of the bank owner. He _is_ the bank owner."

He helped Julia scramble out of the water onto a green carpet of ferns and shamrock.

"You think he bought the bank?" Julia asked.

Loki nodded.

"A leprechaun guards countless treasures hidden in the ground, he could afford to buy this whole island if he wanted."

They walked forward in the murk of the forest, accompanied by quiet splatter of the creek.

"Where are we? The door was a portal, right?" Julia asked, pushing away a green branch.  
"No. The door was just a door. We did not leave the confines of the director’s office. What you see around is an illusion - a very good one, I have to admit."  
"No way!" Julia looked around, picked up a rock and hurled it forward with force. The object flew up and over the trees to land somewhere among thick leaves. "It didn’t hit a ceiling or wall! His office can’t be that big."  
"This is how illusions work," Loki explained with an indulgent smile. "We have been walking for some time already, but in reality we only moved a couple of inches. The landscape around is adjusting. You might notice it if you turn around fast enough."

Julia tried it a couple of times, but she could not catch out the moment when the forest behind their backs would change; instead she pulled a muscle in her neck and had to stop.

"All tales say that we have to catch a leprechaun, but never tell how. Do we set a trap?" she asked, rubbing her neck.  
"The maiden at the door did not announce our arrival, so the creature does not expect any visitors in his lair. We shall ambush him," Loki decided and stopped under a tall tree.

He took out a knife and carved a runic symbol on the bark. The tree glimmered with blue from roots to the top, and a tide of sapphire glow swept through the trees to the left and to the right, surrounding Loki and Julia with a vast circle. Loki turned to face the girl. The air around him vibrated, and Julia rubbed her eyes and felt her jaw drop, as she watched his silhouette split in two. One man remained in his place, while the other walked a couple of steps away from the original.

"How many copies can you make?" she whispered, her eyes darting from one man to another to find the difference.  
"How many do you want?" Loki-to-the-left sneered at her.  
"And what do you want them for?" Loki-to-the-right winked at the girl.  
"Which one of you is you?" Julia ignored his questions.

Both men looked at each other.

"This was a difficult question…" Loki-to-the-right chuckled. "It is hard for me to differentiate. I am both."

Loki One and Loki Two took a synchronised step forward. One of them approached Julia while the other headed away from them into the mirk of the forest.

"You can control them both simultaneously," Julia said, walking by the side of Loki One. Loki Two disappeared in the green thicket of ferns.  
"Indeed I can, though it requires a lot of concentration. I first discovered this ability in early adolescence, and it took me much time and effort to understand how it works. My mother was very proud when I walked to greet her from two opposite sides of the hall; I had been hiding there for almost an hour to surprise her. I was so overwhelmed by success that I got distracted and bumped into myself," he finished with a quiet laugh.

Julia giggled, as she pictured that in her mind.

Loki suddenly held her by a sleeve, pressing a finger to his lips. Julia nodded and stopped, watching the man carefully move away a leafy branch.

Through thick emerald leaves they saw a picturesque clearing lit by slanting sunbeams. A bright semi-transparent rainbow was emerging from the grass in the centre of the meadow, rising into the clear blue sky. On a big flat stone under the rainbow they discerned a tiny ginger man dressed in an old-fashioned doublet jacket and a pair of boots with buckles.

An open folder with documents and a phone were placed on a stone by his side. The leprechaun was carefully studying some printouts, humming under his nose and scratching the back of the head with an expensive ink pen.

Loki slowly moved forward, but a rustle of dry leaves gave him away. The little man jumped up and let out an astonished cry. And then he vanished into thin air. Julia waded through the dewberry thicket onto the clearing, turning her head around in an attempt to spot out the leprechaun.

All of a sudden the air vibrated several steps away from her; with a loud swat a leprechaun hit an invisible barrier which glimmered blue, and disappeared again. Then the same sound came from the bush across the clearing, followed by glow. The fairy was trying to escape, ramming the magical wall Loki had placed around the meadow. With a loud snap the leprechaun emerged on top of a tall rock. Loki darted forward towards the creature but barely a moment before he reached the leprechaun the fairy disappeared again.

Loki looked around and spotted out movement in the tall ferns in the opposite corner of the dell. At this moment his lookalike stepped from behind the trees and rushed into the ferns. The leaves shook, and a loud cry of fear came from inside the dense growth - and this time the leprechaun emerged among the roots of a big uprooted tree and with a squeal tried to dig into the soil. Both Loki One and Loki Two cursed under the breath and sprinted towards the fairy.

The girl felt dazzled by inhumanly fast moves of Loki and his duplicate, both darting to all sides, diving into the bush in an attempt to catch a small fairy. The leprechaun was constantly disappearing out of sight and then revealing himself in an entirely different part of the green clearing, making it look like this magical tag was never going to end.

Both men breathed out heavily and with a synchronised move wiped off sweat from foreheads.

All at once the loud snap sounded merely two steps away from Julia, and the leprechaun materialised in front of her. The little man appeared winded and exhausted, looking around himself in panic and desperation. He glanced at Julia and bared his teeth, leaping forward and aiming with crooked fingers for her eyes.

Julia yelled and jumped back, the creature too close to escape the collision, and tried to cover the face.

Nothing happened.

Julia heard a squeak and a loud thud, as if a body hit a tree.

"Are you hurt?" she heard Loki’s voice.

The girl cautiously opened one eye. Loki was firmly holding the leprechaun by the collar high in the air. The creature yanked, its little face twisted by a grimace of rage; leprechaun gave Julia a hateful look and snapped his sharp triangular teeth in the air. Loki huffed disapproval and violently shook the small man in the air. Behind his back the double was slowly dissolving.

"Let go of me, crook!" the leprechaun yelled. "Get the fuck out of me property, bloody bastard! Ya fuckin’ dirtball, ya fuckface! Me guards gonna beat ya face off!"  
"Silence, little fairy!" Loki commanded. "Dare not address the Allfather of Asgard in such disrespectful manner, or I shall have to tear off your head."

The leprechaun stuttered and gave Loki a suspicious look, assessing whether he is capable of fulfilling the threat. The fairy must have come to a certain conclusion because he ceased to fight and gave Loki an unnaturally wide smile:

"I wasn't expecting visitors, you otta forgive me temper, fella! You ain't tearin’ me head off, right? You here for a loan?"  
"No," Loki responded. "I am here for Mr. O’Brian."

Leprechaun smoothed out the jacket and straightened his back, still hanging in Loki’s clutch.

"I am mister O’Brian. Pleased to meet ya. What’s ya business?"  
"Hey, wait!" Julia shook her head, "You can’t be Mr. O’Brian, I saw his photos in the paper! He is normal size!"

Leprechaun rolled his eyes and looked at Julia with pity.

"You ain’t a smart one, lassie. That O’Brian was the old banker. Meself is O’Brian as well, I just did not announce the change of owner."  
"How can you be O’Brian?!" Julia rubbed her forehead, "You are a fairy!"  
"Oi, and what’s wrong with that?!" the leprechaun snapped with indignation and rested tiny hands on his hips. "It’s me family name, lassie, I wear it with pride!"

Julia giggled.

"Sorry," she said. "It’s just confusing; you both have the same surname…"  
"Ain’t confusing at all!" the fairy huffed at her. "Ya know how many of O’Brian's are there in Ireland?! What ya here for anyway?"  
"Is the vanishing money your doing?" Loki asked.

The leprechaun hunched up a little before responding:

"Aye. We have a problem here, fella?"  
"Indeed we do," Loki nodded. "What you do is a crime and I demand you spread forged money no more."  
"Oi, piss off!" the leprechaun snapped with anger. "I ain’t doing wrong to the folk! A little money fraud won’t hurt them, but I’ll gather up some funds and boost this place up!"  
"He is annoying. I will tear his head off now," Loki casually warned Julia, "you would want to look away."  
"No, no, wait!" the fairy yelled. "I don’t wish meself dead! I ‘ll do all you want! I’ll leave the town, I’ll never come back!"

Julia looked at his tiny cunning face with suspicion.

"How do we know you’re not lying?"

The leprechaun’s face twitched, and he sighed.

"The fella caught me. I’ll do what he tells me to. That’s the rules - i’ll yell and nag but there ain’t a choice. Fair play."

Loki hesitated for a moment and put the creature down.

"Don’t try to run or bite her face off." He warned the leprechaun.

The fairy looked up at him - the creature was so tiny that the top of its head merely reached the level of Loki’s knees.

"Do I look like I got a deathwish? I got emotional, that’s it, you otta understand me… Ya seen this village - they have sheep and nothing more, and I came up with a fine plan how to boost the place up, get more tourists. A little magic to gather the funds, and ya come and tell me to get out right after I invested!"

Julia looked down at the shamrocks, all four-leaf, and suddenly she understood leprechaun’s scheme. The past three days flashed before her mind’s eye in a second: the fully-booked inn, a beer tap with a small shamrock logo on it; the red color of Loki’s hair and a change in his behaviour, and the receptionist on the phone, holding them at doorstep due to tight schedule and meetings with investors.

Julia rushed forward and firmly grabbed the leprechaun by the jacket. Loki stepped back and leaned over a tree, watching Julia with an amused expression on his face.

"You little fucker!" She yelled and hammered the fairy on the nearest tree. "The whole town’s going crazy thanks to your investment! It must be the beer, right?! You bastard…"  
"Oi! Oi, lassie!" the little man wheezed out, "Stop! Let go!"  
"What kind of magical weed did you add to the beer?" Julia growled with weariness and anger. Finally, there was some kind of explanation for the strangely relaxed behaviour of the town folk, and Loki being unnaturally friendly.  
"I used only legal substances! And a bit of magic… Fine, there was some decoction of cannabis…"  
"Some?" Julia watched him closely.  
"Some." The leprechaun confirmed. "It reacts funny with the rest of ingredients, turns hair red."

Julia looked back at Loki. Leprechaun noticed her gaze and winked at her:

"Your lad’s not a human, is he? Strange that my potion worked on him."

Julia turned around to look at her partner again, and gasped with understanding:

"Loki is... high?"  
"High as a kite would be accurate," the leprechaun snorted.  
"He was friendly and nice, and he didn't try to murder anyone, and he… he was hitting on me!" the girl shook her head.  
"I swear, it is not my doing!" The leprechaun whined. Behind her back Julia heard a soft laugh. The girl narrowed her eyes and slammed the leprechaun on the tree again. "What did you expect, damsel?! The beer was meant for humans, I’m not responsible for side effects it had on your fella!"

Julia sighed.

"Loki thinks that he has been ginger his whole life."

The leprechaun giggled.

"The mixture alters your perception of reality a bit, it’s one of side-effects, along with memory loss, lack of concentration, nausea, uncontrollable laughter… I had to use it because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to pull out the ATM trick." The leprechaun winked at her. "Someone would have called the Department of Finance… From the other hand, this elixir of mine is not that bad: it helps to clear the prism through which you see the world, takes the burdens off your shoulders. That’s why tourists love it."

Julia recalled Loki giving her a genuine smile and smashed the leprechaun on the tree just one more time.

"You will fix all of those who got drugged," she breathed out. "And you will never ever again add roofies to the beer, or whiskey, or tap water. Understood?"  
"Have mercy on me!" The leprechaun howled. "I digged out the last of my gold to buy the brewery!"  
"You need any assistance, sweet bird?" Loki drawled lazily behind her back. Julia smiled wickedly when she saw the leprechaun cringe away.  
"No, we are good here… What else do you want?" The leprechaun babbled.  
"You will detoxify Loki," Julia commanded.  
"The effect will wear off in couple of days by itself..."  
" _Immediately!_ "  
"Ouch… Reality will hit him hard!" The leprechaun glanced at Loki with compassion. "Fine, fine! I will do it all!"

Julia heard a shuffle of steps behind her back, and Loki walked closer.

"Is it all?" he asked Julia and turned to the creature as she nodded. "You heard what must be done, fairy."

Loki turned towards the tree with a runic symbol engraved into the bark, and stretched his hand towards it. The symbol glimmered and a flow of sparks floated towards the man, as if the magic he had given away was coming back. The barrier was gone.

"Deal is sealed, fella!" The leprechaun exclaimed and snapped his fingers. "I hope we never meet again!"

And he vanished.

Julia looked up and saw the rainbow glimmer with small golden sparks, and the whole forest trembled and whispered as a strong gust of wind moved the tree tops. The rainbow was fading, and the trees and green grass dissolving as well. Underneath the illusion she could see parquetry on the floor and a clock on the wall. Julia sighed and smiled, and took a deep breath of fresh forest air, her anger vanishing as well.

"Let's go?" she suggested.  
"We are not done here yet."

Julia looked at Loki in surprise, ready to march back to the inn and into the portal and home.

"You deceived me," Loki sighed dramatically, turning towards her. Julia looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face and alertly registered the short distance between them. "The payment you gave me back in the guesthouse vanished into thin air; and for the money I had offered you I never received what I wanted. You are a shameless fraudster yourself, sweet bird, and you owe me one thing."

And before the girl could respond, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Julia’s in a short, yet masterful kiss.

She let out a muffled yip of surprise, eyes wide in shock, as his hand cupped her chin and lifted her head a bit. Loki urged her lips to open, firmly pressing his mouth upon hers, and for a short moment Julia felt a brush of his tongue on hers. And then he pulled away.

"Now, fair and square," Loki triumphantly breathed out, taking a small step back, his thumb still stroking her cheek.

Julia blinked, blushing and feeling her heart race like crazy and frantically thinking what to do. One does not get kissed by a tall and handsome alien in an enchanted forest every day - even if it is all an effect of leprechaun drugs.

A frown crossed Loki's forehead as he looked away from her lips. His eyes hectically scanned the surroundings, rocks covered in green moss, see-through ferns and a carpet of shamrocks under their feet slowly fading. For a moment he looked lost. Julia anxiously stepped back, as Loki sharply pulled his hand away from her face and stood straight. He looked at the girl with an expression of spite and confusion.

His hair was changing color back to raven black.

\----------

Julia marched down the main street, humming The Rocky Road to Dublin under her nose and eating breakfast cereal straight out of a box. Loki was walking by her side with a gloomy look on his face, doing his best to ignore her.

"Will you be quiet?" he hissed, glaring at her with anger.  
"I’m just glad we are going back," Julia replied with her mouth full of cereal. "By the way, I got something that will cheer you up."

She just rampaged through three supermarkets in order to find this red box of breakfast cereal with a smiling leprechaun on it. Julia tried not to laugh out loud as she shook a box in front of her companion, wondering whether the joke is worth dying for after all.

"Want some… _Loki Charms?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Readers,  
> Thank you again for the kudos :) I thought we could use a break from sadness and let them visit Ireland.
> 
> I chose Tipperary County for their next destination because in a field nearby the town of Thurles there is a hidden camera installed in the field by the so-called "Leprechaun watch" organization. They claim that the region is full of leprechauns and fairies and hope to catch a glimpse of the magical folk :)


	11. The Color of Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I like this one very much ^^  
> The level of frustration grows as the heroes travel to Japan, where Loki finds a kind of inner peace under the blooming sakuras.
> 
> Adding Loki's POVs - there will be more in the next chapters :)

Night markets of Alfheim always offered a vast variety of magical substances, drugs and potions for those who knew what to search for and who to turn to. The labyrinths of marquees were not safe to roam through in the darkness, and one always had to watch out for purse-snatchers. Loki recalled scouting out for several types of potions: the ones enhancing concentration and expanding the conscience for himself, and the ones sending you to the state of bliss and joy for his step-brother. It was not a cheap kind of merchandise, and as he walked past marquees and stalls in his usual disguise, he sometimes made notice of familiar faces from the palace. 

Loki always perceived the desire to escape the reality as a solution for the weak and the foolish. Meeting his brother’s lost and desperate gaze after the magical bliss had worn off, Loki made a vow to himself that under no circumstances will he ever resort to elixirs and powders promising heavenly elation. 

And he broke that promise in the most thoughtless way possible.

Drugged with a potion prepared by a small ginger fairy.

Every memory of the last three days was dimmed with thick golden mist. Loki recalled the warmth and serenity he had not experienced in years, the feeling that everything was just the way it had to be - and the awful emptiness after the magic had worn off. He would give away anything just to experience the peace of mind and happiness for one more moment and to make the dark void inside his chest disappear.

The memory of the way he conducted himself, though, made him shudder with disgust. He always looked down with pity at those Asgardians who breeded with inferior races, women from Midgard among them. Loki considered such romances pointless and shameful, thereat after learning of Thor’s choice to mix blood with a human scholar Loki made a vow to himself that under no circumstances will he ever have an affair with a non-Asgardian.

And he broke this promise as well - even though it was just a kiss. Even though his conscious was clouded with fairy elixir - otherwise he wouldn't even look at the maid. He felt weak and tainted, and extremely angry with himself.

The Midgardian by the opposite side of a low transparent table was alert, strained and unnaturally quiet. Instead of bombarding him with questions she was nervously drumming shiny red nails on the tabletop, her head low and eyes locked on the notes. Loki felt her tension with his skin: every small movement of his was followed by the maiden’s quick frightened gaze. He smirked: there was something positive in this state of affairs. The feeling of being in control has returned. Recently he came to notice that the situation was slipping out of his hands too often: they spoke as equals, they exchanged opinions, the maid even dared to argue with him - so the fact that she was scared of him again was rather comforting.  
\----------  
If Julia had a say in this, she would advise Loki to stick to the golden rule: what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Unfortunately, he seemed unwilling to hear out her opinion.  
When the leprechaun warned her about unpleasant consequences of sudden detoxication, Julia suspected that Loki would suffer from headache, maybe nausea - but she did not expect a long-lasting fit of cold rage she clearly did not deserve.

Loki was not the nicest guy in town, a rather complex personality mixed with a bunch of issues and insecurities into a deadly combo. In the beginning of their acquaintance he was despicable, hateful, and cruel, and if it hadn't been for her unexpected victory in their nightmare stand-off, Julia would have probably gone insane already. But a truce was reached, and their relationship passed the point zero, slowly but steadily moving from the Arctic permafrost towards the South. Even though for most of the time Loki was waspish and egoistic and cynical, he became bearable, and Julia was almost happy to see him at her doorstep.

It was funny how it all has gone to shit so easily. The tense atmosphere was almost tangible. Loki was clearly having a problem accepting the fact that he kissed her, and he seemed to loathe her just as much as he hated himself for falling so low - one did not have to be a clairvoyant to guess the nature of his distress. Understanding of the complex situation, however, did not give Julia a clue what to do next: she had a feeling that a single false move from her side would lead to the second Hiroshima. The girl was not even sure if she was allowed to breathe.

Every Wednesday Julia would wake up to lightning pain in her wrist - a harsh reminder of their deal which worked better than the alarm clock. Due to these “good morning” electric shocks the very idea of ditching their weekly meeting was giving her chills because of fear of the punishment to follow. It seemed that Loki shared her concerns, because despite his obvious desire to be anywhere else but here, he was sitting in her living room, detesting her with every fibre of his being.

Julia wouldn't mind taking a sip of leprechaun’s relaxing potion herself, the level of frustration and panic almost too high to keep a clear head.

"Your half," she tossed a pile over the table, unable to bear the silence anymore. "Japan. Seven gone missing while hiking on Fuji mountain, bodies haven’t been found yet."

Loki leaned forward to take the papers, and Julia backed off a little. Without a word he gathered the sheets and sank into the armchair, putting crossed feet on the table’s edge. Julia raked a disdainful glare over the tall boots of brown leather, long legs stretched forward and the rest of Loki. Their eyes met, and the Asgardian returned a cold derisive look. Scolding him did not seem like a very good Idea, so Julia said nothing.

Loki scanned the first one of the “usual suspects” and cleared his throat. 

"A roll of cotton that flies around in the wind at night, that will wrap itself around your neck and choke you to death. Are you mocking me?!"*  
"The lamest superheroes get the lamest monsters," the girl helplessly shrugged her shoulders, "beggars cannot be choosers."

Loki did not know what “lame” meant, but it did not feel like a compliment.

"You have a plan?" he barked out. The names of creatures were completely unreadable in both hieroglyphic symbols and English translation.  
"Yes." Julia looked around for a print-out map of Japan. "I suggest we…"  
"I did not ask you what your plan is, I wanted to know if you have one," Loki interrupted her abruptly. "I do not wish to waste my time on your talking."

Julia blinked a couple of times. She watched him get up and pace the room, studying the contents of bookshelf. Loki brushed his fingers over colorful backs of books - entirely different from tomes with ornate leather bindings in his own library. He took out one, ruffled the pages and gave a satisfied small nod - completely ignoring her presence. It was starting to get very annoying.

"Tomorrow, ten in the morning," Loki said over the shoulder, heading towards the door with her book and his printouts.

Julia huffed in disbelief behind his back. He could have at least asked if the time suits her... _Fine._ If Loki did not want to cooperate - she could do nothing about it. But she could make him think it over. Some time ago the girl came to notice that their journeys through portals were leaving Loki very exhausted. If her assumption was correct, he would not have enough power to open two portals one after another. In the light of the above Julia could only hope Loki would not mind taking a two-hour bus ride from Tokyo to mount Fuji. And if she is lucky, the bus will be packed with noisy annoying tourists.  
\----------  
The Japanese adventure began in a dead end behind one of the restaurants, where they stepped out of the portal onto the dirty asphalt. It was exactly ten-thirty in the morning, and no one was there to witness their arrival. Loki and Julia squeezed between delivery scooters filling the parking, went around the corner and joined the crowd on a broad street.

Japan was peculiar. Hectic, but orderly. Astonishingly contemporary, fast and shiny but at the same time ancient and musing as the tall mountain towering over the island. 

Loki watched the people around with interest. The city resembled a giant anthill - he hardly could spot out a person without a purpose. Everyone busy, moving fast in a living river of small dark-haired men and women.

Shiny metal vehicles - _cars_ \- were filling the streets, moving very slowly, like blood pumping in the veins of a sleepy colossus waking up for the challenges of a new day. The warm spring sun was beaming brightly, reflected on myriads of surfaces of steel and glass. After several men with their eyes locked on small communication devices nearly bumped into Loki, he covered himself and the maid with a transparent dome. Now the living river was flowing by their sides.

The Midgardian did not notice the spell he had cast, too excited to pay attention. She was walking a couple steps ahead, turning her head around with childish blissful joy. 

"We are in Shinjuku ward, the Tokyo business-centre. It is here," she energetically thrust out her rectangular communication device - _phone_ \- and nearly hit him in the face. Loki winced and rolled his eyes. "And here - look at the map! - here is the old part of town."

He remained silent and with half of the ear listened to her patter about unique Japanese culture, about its history after Second World War - illogical name, taking into consideration that this Midgard had never withstood an attack from another Realm, only a bunch of small countries squabbling over influence and border marks. The images of Tokyo Imperial Palace caught his attention.

"This is where their royalties live? It looks nice," he said. The complex was unlike anything he had seen before, the architecture and style entirely different from tall towers of Asgard and graceless bulky castles of European Midgardian rulers.  
"Yes. But you can't go inside, the inner grounds of the palace are closed for visitors. It is open only two days a year."  
"I am not just a visitor," Loki huffed, disappointed by the fact that Midgardians chose to impose such pointless restrictions. "I am the King of Asgard."  
"Alas, they don't care," Julia sneered wickedly. "We can take a picture from the outside if you want."  
"No." Loki snapped.

They walked past a bakery with the strangest pastry ever: yellow chickens and blue kittens made of cream on top of small round cakes. 

"But seriously, let's take a quick look around?" Julia suggested, glaring at the cute cupcakes with rapacious eyes.  
"No," Loki did not even try to hide the satisfaction in his voice. The girl groaned. Cupcakes were left behind.  
"At least the Temple in Asakusa. It must be beautiful. Or the National Museum - half an hour? Please?"  
"No," he turned to her for a moment with a gracious smile.  
"Aren't you interested?! I bet you've never been to Asia before. Don’t you want to explore this place? Learn something new?"

Loki stopped and turned to face the girl. The busy street was pulsating around them, but the hum of the crowd and the traffic signals seemed distant. Passers-by were stumbling into each other around them.

"Do you want to know why I do not want to?" Loki asked in a silky voice. Julia hesitated a moment but gave him a small nod. "Because my time is too valuable, unlike yours. Because I find your company annoying and I find you repulsive. Because each and every place in your Realm is the same, uninteresting and inhabited by miserable, superficial little creatures not worthy of my attention, just like you. Because I do not care if any of these men lives or dies, and my wish is to spend in your Realm and in your company the least time possible. Because if I had a choice I would be anywhere but here; but unfortunately a choice is a luxury I do not have."

Julia blinked a couple of times. Loki watched her excitement fade. He felt a gloomy satisfaction from seeing a concerned and mixed-up look on her face. From one hand, it was not the girl’s fault that he got intoxicated by leprechaun’s magical ale and made a fool of himself - and he was well aware of that; from the other - the aching unsettling feeling of weakness and vulnerability was receding as he watched her huddle up.

"Do you have to be on drugs to behave like a normal person?" Julia spat out angrily, folding hands on her chest.  
"Define a normal person," Loki replied coldly. "Did I happen to hurt your little feelings?"  
"Yes, thanks for noticing!" she cried out impatiently. "Every time you open your mouth you just have to remind me how much you hate me… Can you finally live through the fact that you have no choice but to help me? Can you stop being so mean and childish and treat me with at least a little respect?"  
"You are not worthy of respect," Loki uttered. "None of you Midgardians is. Shall we not waste any more of my time and do what we are here for?"

Under other circumstances he would have taken a look around this strange city full of small people and tall constructions of glass and metal scraping the clouds. He would have suggested a walk himself, but the very fact that the maid was the first to offer made him reconsider.

Loki was definitely feeling better. The pulsation of a dark clot pushing his ribcage open was subsiding.

"I can’t fight a feeling that you would be glad to beat me to death if you only could," the Midgardian hissed, flashing eyes at him.

Loki gave her an arrogant displeased look.

"No, I would not. One who beats a maiden is not worthy of calling himself a man. Besides, you are so weak and helpless that abusing you physically would be shameful even for a child."  
"And constant insulting me is not considered shameful in Asgardian moral code?" Julia asked angrily.

Loki laughed quietly.

"Moral code is a complex thing. What does your moral code say about blackmailing and enforcing your will upon a complete stranger?"

Julia rolled her eyes.

"So I thought… By the way, I do not understand why we ended up in this city at all," Loki went on in a disapproving tone. "I thought the people disappear in the mountains."

This was her moment. 

"Yesterday evening I was about to discuss with you, if we could stop by in Tokyo and later head on to the mountain. Unfortunately, you shut me up, so I assumed that you will be happy to take a quick walk around Tokyo and after that take a bus ride." Julia was grinning at Loki, not even trying to hide the evil satisfaction in her voice. "Of course, you can take us to the mountain by alternative means, if the bus does not satisfy you…"

The man clenched his jaw. 

"Not if you want me to be able to fight later," Loki spat out after a moment of silence. "Fine. You shall secure the passage for us both. Show the way."  
\----------  
Securing the passage stood for buying the bus tickets from busy Shinjuku ward to the 5th Station about halfway up the mountain. 

In the light of recent events the huge bus was nearly empty: no more than ten people embarked on a ride. The vehicle was cutting through the lovely countryside, taking them South from Tokyo, towards the white peak of Fuji mountain.

Julia studied her face in a small round mirror and sighed. She felt exhausted - and she looked even worse than she felt. 

Loki did not say a word since she handed him the ticket; and Julia could only guess whether he has learned his lesson or not. The Asgardian was sitting cross-legged by her side, head low over the book he had taken from her shelve the day before. He was almost in the middle already, eyes darting fast from one side of the page to another. Julia huffed. Game of Thrones seemed like his type of reading material.

"What?" He asked in a plain voice, not caring to look at her.  
"I am just thinking if it will be too cruel of me to spoil the plot and tell you who dies next." Julia sneered, peeking over his shoulder into the book.

She saw Loki's lips curve a bit.

"I couldn't imagine a thing more brutal and barbaric one could do," he replied mockingly, and looked at her. "I can tell you myself. Everyone dies."

Julia laughed shortly.

"A comprehensive summary, bravo!"  
"I can tell for sure that the boy named Jon Snow dies." Loki continued, looking Julia straight in the eyes. "I do not say now, maybe later, but he is not fit to survive. The ones like him die fast. He is too honorable and righteous, and too willing to sacrifice his own good for the right cause and for the sake of helping others. He is too much like you. This is why he dies."

Julia swallowed and looked away to the window, countryside landscapes flashing as the bus was moving forward. She wished she could disagree with this statement.  
\----------  
"Something troubles you," Julia guessed, watching him attentively. Loki was strained and unnerved ever since they got off the bus and ended up on a deserted parking beside the huge complex of the station. The rest of the passengers gathered by the bus to take their bags out.

The man frowned, hesitating, and nodded.

"It will be easier if I show you," Loki finally said and went around Julia. The girl watched him with wariness and her shoulders tensed as he stood behind her back. "Be still."

Julia jerked as his cool fingers touched her right temple, and she felt a slight pricking sensation on her scalp. 

"Keep your head up," Loki commanded lowly, "and look at the mountain. Do you see now?"

The whole mountain was glowing. Thick white mist was covering it with a sparkling see-through veil. In some places, the glimmer was brighter, and these spots looked like bright stars on the Milky Way. It was strange and stunningly beautiful.

"Is this what magic looks like?" she whispered in shock. Loki took his hand away, and as Julia blinked the glow over the mountain was gone.  
"More or less. The color varies but every living creature which possesses the powers leaves a trail which others can see. My point is, that some very powerful beings live on this mountain. It surely is not an evil ball of cotton."  
"Do you always see the world like this? It must be confusing," Julia assumed, tilting her head back to look at the man behind her. Upside-down he seemed less dangerous.  
"Luckily, I don't," Loki replied, looking down at her. "Normally I see the world same as you, but I am also able to discern the trails of magic, would there be such need."  
"What color is your magic, then?" Julia asked before considering whether the Asgardian will find her question inappropriate and get angry. 

Loki looked at her with slight surprise. Among those who possessed magical abilities, the ones who had ever seen him cast a spell, knew. Among those with no magical powers no one had ever cared to ask. He hesitated before responding.

"I… The color is blue," Loki replied awkwardly.  
\--------  
Loki studied the apparel of a loud agitated group of young men and women, heading in the same direction. The Midgardian was dressed in a similar way: tightly laced colorful flat sole boots, thick blue pants and a long-sleeved jacket of soft cotton. He was clearly standing out from the crowd.

"Wait up," Loki commanded and moved to a side to let the other travellers pass. Julia looked at him with surprise and stopped. "Turn around."

Julia raised a brow. 

"Why?" she asked with suspicion. 

Loki rolled his eyes.

"My current apparel does not seem to fit," he explained and impatiently waved his right hand in the air, urging Julia to move. "I do not wish to attract unnecessary attention."

The girl sighed and spun around.

"Next time try to say “please”," she suggested. "Are you familiar with the word?"  
"Quite," Loki responded with a smirk. "It is surprising how dull and poor quality clothing is produced in Midgard… Not that a fine dress could make you look any better..."

Julia puffed angrily:

"Zip it! You are not my type either, but I don't throw it in your face every five minutes!"

Loki ignored her, brushing his hands over the dark overcoat. The fabric under his palms started to change from leather to cotton, calf-long skirts of the coat got shorter. Tall boots transformed into ankle-high trekking shoes. The man smoothed out his jacket with a satisfied smile. 

"You still don't fit in," Julia huffed with annoyance and marched forward, "You look like a spoiled playboy who tries to disguise himself as a normal person."  
"I shall take it as a compliment," Loki chuckled behind her back and followed the girl towards the building.

The place was deserted, no more than fifty tourists in the building altogether. Julia and Loki walked around, studying shops, empty restaurants and lounges. After a couple of hours of wandering and lounging around Julia and Loki had to admit the sad truth: they had no leads at all. They tried to talk with the locals: Loki’s mind control abilities could make the Japanese more talkative, but could not help overcome the language barrier and the strong accent. From the fast and slurred prattle of the staff Loki deciphered that they saw nothing and heard nothing. Some hikers just wouldn't return back to the station in the evening. Reconnaissance-in-force seemed like the only option, so they sat and waited till it would get dark.

 _He_ sat and waited, to be precise. The Midgardian was clearly one of those people who cannot be still for long. Loki occupied a cozy bench in front of a full wall window with a view on mountain side, and from time to time raised his eyes to register the movement of his companion. Within the following two hours the girl rummaged through the shelves of souvenir shops, captured images of the mountain with her phone, and drank two coffees which made her move even faster. Finally, she stopped by and declared that she was leaving for a fifteen-minute walk around. Loki shrugged and returned to reading.

After some time Loki realized that someone was watching him. He could feel it with his back. The man sat straight and scanned the people in the room. A couple of elderly Japanese, a group of young Europeans from the bus engaged in a vivacious discussion. The building must have been designed for a larger number of visitors, but since seven people disappeared within the last four days the travelers must have considered the beauty of hiking routes not compelling enough to lose their lives.

He closed the book - only a couple dozens of pages left - and registered movement on a mountain slope behind the window. A small white fox was sitting in the tall grass and observing him. Nothing special, except for the fact that the animal had been staring straight at him for the last several minutes.

Loki glanced at the watch behind the bar counter and with concern noticed that the agreed fifteen minutes had passed long ago; and the girl was not back yet. The unsettling feeling of creeps crawling down his neck and spine would not disappear. The fox was still there: black nose, brown eyes and pointed big ears, surrounded by pale butterflies flittering above the grass. The animal yawned and made a graceful jump up in the air to catch one of the insects. Before the fox dove headfirst into the green, Loki noticed a glimpse of several tails in place of one. 

Loki narrowed his eyes and looked at the fox from under eyelashes, suspecting it to be a harmless magical creature of minor power - and he swore aloud, jumping off the bench and storming out of the building. The creature had so much magic in it that the glimmering halo around its silhouette could be compared to that of Yggdrasil. The white glow was blinding, surrounding the little fox with a sparkling white aureole. This must be where the light above the mountain was coming from, this must be the creature they are after.

The fox was fleeing towards the forest canopy.

Loki stepped under the tall pines and followed the animal up the mountain slope. Trees were casting long shadows over the rocks and greenbrier thicket.

The chase was making him impatient. The fox was visible all the time, but never close enough for attack, and Loki had no choice but to follow with a spell on standby. 

Unexpectedly sharp pain hit him, and Loki cringed, crashing into a tree on full speed. He gulped for air, trying to blink away the black spots blurring his eyesight, leaning over the tree trunk in order to stand straight. His left forearm felt like someone has peeled off the skin, which could mean one thing - the Midgardian was in deadly danger.

Loki clenched his teeth and pushed away from the tree, placing unsteady steps over the rocky ground. The white fox was gone, but now he heard distant screams and followed in that direction.  
\----------  
Her agreed fifteen-minute walk turned into an hour long march up the mountain side. As the road was going up among tall pines and blackberry shrubs, Julia was regaining inner peace she craved since her first encounter with Loki. The Asgardian was not looking for her yet and Julia would not mind if he never did. 

She stopped at a small opening and turned to look down at the panorama. The sakura blossom was covering the valley below in pink haze, pines above Julia’s head were whispering her lullabies they had sung long before the arrival of men. She breathed in the fresh evening air and with surprise registered the murk around her and how tired she was. The sun was low above the horizon - Julia had forgotten that night falls early in Japan. She delved in a pocket for tangled earphones, ready to head back.

And suddenly she heard a scared, plaintive cry. Julia jumped up and looked around, listening to a high woman’s voice calling from the forest. The voice was begging for help, full of desperation. The girl swallowed, the way up the mountain lit only by small lanterns along the path. She made a hesitant step back. It is dangerous to go into the forest alone at night. She will return and tell the staff at the station to call the police.

And then she heard one more voice, echoing the woman’s cries: a little child. Julia clenched her teeth and darted up the path.

The cries and sobbing sounded very close, loud and at the same time muted by the sounds of running water. Down at the station she had seen photos of a small picturesque river with rocky bottom - that must be it. Julia stepped off the path under the pines and climbed up the rocks covered in bindweed. 

In the twilight the river surrounded by thick bush and grey rocks looked beautiful, deep water was rolling down the mountainside with quiet gurgling.

Julia squinted and discerned a young Japanese woman drowning in the river.

"O kurwa!"** 

The woman was holding onto a rock but her wet fingers were sliding off. She noticed Julia and yelled for help again, letting go of the rock for a moment and diving into the water. She emerged at the surface again, coughing and crying.

What was worse, with the other hand she was holding a small child, desperately trying to keep him above the water.

Julia frantically looked around for a stick but the shrubs did not look strong enough, and the branches of tall pines were too high to reach. She quickly stripped off the hoodie and ran towards the steep bank, jumping on slippery stones.

"Coming! Hold on!"

The woman gasped and choked on the water. Julia grabbed the thick thorny bush with one hand and slid down the bank. Her feet landed in the cold water; the girl stretched a free hand out and threw her blouse towards the woman, firmly holding one of the sleeves. The drowning girl tried to catch it but missed.

Julia cursed and moved closer, sinking waist-deep and feeling a slippery rock in the water under her feet wobble. 

With the last effort the drowning woman rushed forward and pushed the baby towards Julia. The girl caught the crying child’s forearm and pulled him closer. The boy was sobbing and clutching onto her, as she tried to pull up on one hand. The woman was gone, water bubbling it the place where she had been a moment ago.

"Fuck… Hold on," Julia whispered to the child and winced, as the thorns dug into the palm. "You are just fine..."

The boy did not cry anymore. Julia turned her head and gasped: whatever she was holding, it was no child. The small creature covered in cold wet scales was staring at her with huge round yellow eyes. The monster was firmly holding on to her with scrawny hands ending in webbed paws. Julia squeaked and tried to shake the creature off, but it did not let go.

At this moment something in the water splashed, as if there was a very big fish, and a swirl started in the centre of the stream. Julia clenched her teeth and pulled up higher, feeling that her feet were slipping off the stones covered in water plants.

And she could not move. The creature on her hand suddenly grew very heavy, pulling her down like a stone. 

"Let go!" Julia screamed in terror, shaking her left hand with force, trying to hit the little monster on a stoney bank.

The girl felt the sharp thorns cut her skin open as she tried to hold on despite the weight pulling her into the water.

And then something brushed her legs in the stream, and with a splash the woman who had drowned a moment ago emerged from the water. The monster had a head, shoulders and hands of a young girl, but its body from the torso and down was snake-like, covered in scales and ending in a long tail.

Fucking idiot. Alone in the forest at night, well aware of the danger, and yet she decided to help. 

_Too honorable and righteous, and too willing to sacrifice her own good for the right cause and for the sake of helping others._

_Jon Snow was about to die._

The woman gave Julia a gentle smile, baring white sharp fangs, and flicked a long snake-like tongue between teeth. And then the tail firmly wrapped around the girl’s ankle, and the creature forcefully pulled her into the water. Julia let go of the shrub and dove into the cold river. 

She was jerking and trying to open the firm deadly embrace of the snake’s tail, but her hands were sliding off the slimy scales. There was no air left; her lungs were burning; it felt like her rib cage was going to explode.

The snake’s tail suddenly let her go, and a moment later some other force pulled her out of the water, nearly tearing her hand off. Julia hit the hard rocky ground of the bank and coughed violently, spitting out water and trying to sit up. 

The water in the river was bubbling, and the foam turned pink. From time to time the snake’s tail emerged above the surface, splashing the water and crushing the thick bush surrounding the river.

Loki pulled up and sprang out if the river, but did not retrieve away from the stream. Instead he dipped one hand into the water. The snake rose above the surface, wounded and infuriated, towering over the man’s kneeling figure. The creature shrieked and darted towards Loki, but froze mid-movement. A thick layer of ice covered the monster, crackling and restraining it with a solid shell. The water was freezing as well, the whole stream up the mountain as far as the eyes could see in the dark. 

Loki slowly stood up. On shaky feet Julia approached the bank: the dead snake looked like a beautiful and terrifying ice sculpture, completely frozen and still.

The girl looked down at the river below and felt her stomach make a flip. Now it was clear to her, why since the accidents had begun there were no bodies found.

Water from the surface to the bottom was frozen into a crystal-clear block of ice. The stream was very deep. Like in a prism, one could see the rocks and water plants, tiny bubbles of air, little silver fish and the riverbed. There were bones everywhere - separate pieces of human skeletons, vertebras and crushed ribcages. Julia discerned seven skulls in that horrible pile of human remains. It seemed that they have just found all the missing people.

Understanding hit her like a hammer and Julia shivered, feeling the weariness and the cold, and the sharp pain in the ripped right hand. She has nearly been drowned in a cold stream by a magical snake. Her legs buckled and Julia heavily sat on the grass, shivering and wiping off tears.

Loki drew a shaky breath and brushed away wet hair. And then he turned towards Julia. The girl gave him a frightened look from the ground and tried to move away.

"How?!" He growled. "How did you end up here..."  
"I…"  
"In a fucking stream."  
"It was…"  
"Being drowned by a fucking snake!"  
"By accident I…"  
"You what?! Went for a stroll and stumbled upon the men-slaughtering beast?" Loki spat out.  
"Yes!" Julia sobbed out. "Yes, I thought a woman was drowning, and she had a little baby with her! I wanted to help!"

Loki buried his face in the palms and groaned.

"A woman with a little child in the water at night? You fucking halfwit!"

Julia had nothing to say - she could not agree with Loki more. Her teeth were chattering and she hugged her knees, whimpering and shivering from the cold and shock.

With a moan Loki lowered himself on the grass as well. As adrenaline has worn off he felt how sore his body was after the spell hit him, signalling the danger upon the maid. Loki considered berating the stupid girl for idiocy and carelessness, but he looked at her figure, curled up and small, and said nothing. Not that he felt sorry for the Midgardian, he was just too tired even to speak. 

He remembered the creature from a pile the girl had thrown at him the day before. Nure-onna was its name: a monster with the head of a young woman and the body of an enormous snake, luring the victims with the help of its offspring and then devouring the bodies.

If he had been a moment late, the maid would have shared the fate of the others. Loki shuddered at the thought of how harsh and painful his punishment would be. Most probably he would end up dead as well, all because of her stupidity. 

A soft glow suddenly filled the forest. At a distance, on the other bank of the frozen river, a small white fox was graciously leaping from one rock to another, its nine tails waving in the air likewise peacock feathers.

Loki tensed up, concentrating and reaching out for the piece of cold deep inside him. He felt the tingling of the skin, and his right palm changed color to blue and a glowing sphere appeared at his fingertips. The creature was approaching, and Loki got ready, raising his hand for attack.

"Sh-h… No, please don't do it!" Loki heard Julia whisper, and she sharply pulled his sleeve. The man moved his shoulder to shake her off, but hesitated.  
"Why not?" he asked quietly, alertly following the creature’s movements.  
"Because she is one of the local Gods."

Small snow-white fox effortlessly jumped on one of the tall rocks merely twenty steps away from them and wrapped the nine tails around her paws.

"The Japanese call her Kitsune. In some legends she brings misery and pain, yet in other ones the encounter with her is considered a blessing," the girl quietly continued and pulled his sleeve again. "Please, don't kill her."

Loki slowly lowered his hand, and the spell dissolved into mist. The little fox cocked its head to a side, observing his moves. The creature’s eyes were too clever for a simple animal, and Loki realized that the being is much older than him, probably as old as this island itself - and not at all scared. The fox was not fleeing before him, it was deliberately leading him towards the stream.

And then he felt a sharp jolt, as if someone pushed him in the chest. A wave of magic swamped him, so powerful that he almost lost his breath, so warm that it felt like the sun on a summer day. Along with the warmth came the serenity he craved so much. The feeling was similar to what Loki experienced under influence of leprechaun’s potion, but this time his head was clear and his mind was focused, and the dark void inside his chest gone.

The girl by his side brushed her palms over her dry clothes, touched her right hand - completely healed, and stared at the fox spirit in wonder.

The animal disappeared behind the pines, taking the glimmer away, and they were left in the darkness again.

Loki breathed in and laughed shortly and carelessly. Now he felt the magic all around. It was flowing around him in the air, causing this small strange island to be just the way it is: old and new, chaotic and orderly at the same time. Loki reached out and saw a white swirl start around his fingers. 

Julia observed him with caution. 

"The next bus is in the morning." She clumsily got up. "Sorry, we will have to wait."  
"No need to," Julia could see small white sparks flitter off Loki’s fingers, and the green grass was freezing where they fell. Whatever the fox spirit has done, Loki was loaded with magic. "I can open the portal from here, right now."  
"All right. Are we heading back, then?" She asked.

Loki narrowed his eyes, thinking over something.

"I have a better idea," he declared. "Tokyo Imperial Palace."

Julia opened her mouth to speak, but instead let out a short nervous laugh of disbelief. 

"What?! But it is closed for visitors! And… it’s late!"  
"I am no ordinary visitor," Loki reminded her with a sly smile, and opened the portal with one careless move of his hand. "Besides, at night no one shall disturb me while I look around."  
"Are you serious?!" the girl squeaked.

Loki nodded and motioned his head towards the blue glimmer, urging Julia to move.

"Are you coming or not?"

Julia smiled at him and stepped into the shining vortex of blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Ittan-Momen - Just like Loki said, a roll of cotton which tries to kill you. There definately are some weird monsters in Japan :)  
> ** Oh fuck! - in Polish :)  
> 


	12. Game Changer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several very important changes take place ^^  
> Lots of emotions, board games and sudden revelations which shall help our heroes find something unexpected, but very important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * A very romantic and sad Medieval ballad - calling it a soundtrack would have been too ambicious, but it is somewhat inspiring. Hopefully, things will work out better for the heroes :)  
> The Italian version is a beautiful cover, you can listen to it here:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1held3PDOE

Sometimes things do not go as planned.

In anticipation of Loki’s arrival Julia was nervously pacing the kitchen, peering out of the window every couple of minutes. There was no need for printouts this time, all Warsaw newspapers dedicated the front pages to the story. 

"Strange stuff is happening," Julia declared instead of a greeting, sharply pushing the door open. "Three people found dead: one tourist two days ago and a young couple last night, no one saw a thing."

The girl placed a newspaper on the coffee table in front of Loki and sat down, drumming her fingers. The man nodded and looked at Julia expectantly.

"Oh, right…" she completely forgot about the language barrier. "Like I said, three people found dead in the Old Town of Warsaw. Estimated time of death is between three and four in the morning. The weird part is that all three were found with expression of extreme terror on their faces, as if someone scared them to death."  
"Anything else? Were they wounded?" Loki asked, studying the photos of victims on the front page of the newspaper: three Midgardians, two men and a young maiden.  
"That’s the problem - no wounds or cuts. What kind of monster scares people to death?!"

The Midgardian was way more nervous than the previous times, her hands slightly shaking as she took a sip of water and with force lowered the glass on the the table top. Loki understood her fear and anxiety - it is not easy to keep a distance when death is so close.

"Thank God they are in London." She breathed out and brushed her fingers through the hair. 

The maid spoke of her family - Loki remembered them from dreams where they would die - where _he_ would make them die. He never understood why the maid lived so far from her kin, but he never cared enough to ask her about it. And to be frank, he still did not care.

"I hope that this time you shall be useful," Loki said, "it is your home town, after all."

Julia nodded energetically.

"I have a couple of ideas. Do you know anything of the history of Warsaw?"

Loki gave her a lenient superior look.

"I have descended to Midgard before for the sole purpose of conquest. The story of New York never interested me though I intended to rule it, why would I be concerned about a small town like yours?"

Julia rolled her eyes.

"Fine, you are getting a short history lesson, then. The past of Warsaw is complex and rather dramatic. It has been the capital of Poland for quite long, five hundred years or so," Loki huffed at her definition of “long” but listened further. "In the eighteenth century Poland got split into three parts by the neighbouring kingdoms, but regained autonomy at the beginning of the twentieth century. During the Second World War the city was ruined, then rebuilt in the fifties. My point is that so many things have happened here, so many people died at war that I think it can be some kind of an angry ghost that came to life. Maybe a nazi general. Or some conspirator from the eighteenth century, there have been several attempts to overthrow the government. I just need to look through history records and find out who died a violent death within the confines of the Old Town, so this one should be a piece of cake."

Julia grabbed the empty glass from the table and sharply stood up, heading towards the kitchen for a refill. Her family was alive and well - since Christmas everyday calls and emails to find out if they are fine have become a routine. Her friends and colleagues were unharmed, as well - all three victims were complete strangers. Despite that, Julia felt vulnerable and lost.

When the girl returned into the living room she saw Loki standing by the bookshelves and studying a big box with a new board game she bought for a Friday night out with colleagues.

"What is this?" the man carefully shook the box and listened to the rumble inside.  
"A game," Julia replied, wondering what kind of fun they have in Asgard, if any. "You get a bunch of figures, some cards and a big map, then you take turns to settle down and conquer each other’s lands. The first to build the biggest and richest empire wins."

Julia saw Loki’s eyes flash with interest as she spoke the word “conquer”. With a decisive look on her face the girl marched towards the drawer, took out the scissors and handed them over to Loki:

"Open up!"  


The Asgardian looked at her in wonder. Her hand holding the scissors was shaking a little.

"A quick demonstration," Julia explained nervously, feeling extremely vulnerable when standing like this in the middle of the room, handing sharp scissors to a very dangerous alien. "If you want, of course. And then back to business."

Loki hesitated, turning the box in his hands. He felt tempted to give it a try. From what he has witnessed back in New York, Midgardians tended to relax in very primitive ways, men and women wriggling to the loud fast rhythms in stuffy crowded rooms at night, lusting and losing their minds, and giving in to an alcoholic trance. However, the box with a picture of a peaceful settlement on top of it was promising a somewhat different kind of entertainment. The maid in front of him shifted on her feet uneasily, and finally Loki made up his mind. He took the scissors from her and walked towards the armchair, tearing off the cellophane.

Loki carefully studied the buildings, small trees symbolising orchids, and a deck of cards. The girl sat down opposite to him and gave him a wide, somewhat insane grin. 

"I can't believe we are doing this," she giggled. "Listen, then. You choose a place for a settlement and do your best to reach the finish line first. You get gold from selling apples - this is what the trees are for, the more gold - the more points. You’d better surround your settlement with a wall - then the chances to withstand the attack of the neighbours are higher. Every time there is a battle between us, we roll the dice, and the one who gets a bigger number wins."

She handed over to Loki a thick deck of cards.

"These are very important, so called game changer cards. Each of us gets six at the start of the round. Use them when things do not go well. You can choose to develop agriculture and then you will have twice more gold from selling apples, or you can make your settlers immune to diseases, or poison all my wells so that half of my people would die out."

Loki was watching the Midgardian with interest. The maid seemed more relaxed now, distracted from the alarming events happening in the town. She leaned back on the soft pillows of the couch as she sorted her cards into a neat fan. The rules were rather primitive, but the game itself was entertaining: Loki got distracted himself, carefully placing new houses by the side of his castle, moving his pawn over the board and rolling the dice.

"And… I win," Julia pushed her pawn one more step forward and looked up at Loki.

Loki studied the board with attentive eyes.

"No," he responded in an irritated, dissatisfied tone, and sank into the armchair. Julia giggled. That was an interesting way to take the defeat.  
"Well, _yes_ … I built more settlements, I gathered more gold - I win. Don't worry, for a first-time player you were real good."

Loki sat with his back straight and raked a scornful gaze at the girl.

"This game is too easy."  
"Yeah, right… It must be the reason you lost?" Julia asked mockingly, cocking her head to a side.  
"I lost because I was getting familiar with the rules," Loki explained with a stubborn frown. "And I came to notice that some of them are illogical and superficial. How can we both thrive on selling apples? Where do we get iron to forge swords for the soldiers? The game requires several modifications."

Julia watched Loki pull the box closer and put the small wooden towers, walls and castles and trees into the separate partitions.

"I shall alter it a bit, so that it would be more logical and life-like," Loki said and looked up at Julia. "And tomorrow we play again. Same time?"

Julia shook her head in astonishment. Tomorrow was Thursday; not that she had anything scheduled for the evening.

"All right," she responded slowly, thinking what kind of modifications Loki was planning to make - maybe paint half of the figures green?

He closed the box and stood up.

"By the way, this round doesn't count. I was playing for the first time, it would be unfair to taint me with defeat."

And just like this, the box with her newly-bought board game departed to Asgard for a night.  


\----------  


When Loki handed her the box next evening, it was two times heavier than the day before. 

All free space between paragraphs on the rulebook was taken by additional instructions and descriptions written by hand. Julia carefully took out small ivory figures of a cow and a man with a plough - symbols for livestock and agriculture which had not been there before. The map with the terrain was different. There were swamps and forests on it now, and one had to drain the soil and cut out the woods to settle down. There was iron and rock and gold, and one had to build a mine to get to them. Seasons changed by themselves, and in late summer the fields were changing colors to golden, and in winter to white.

"Rules mostly remain the same, I made only a couple of modifications," Loki declared, taking a sip of his coffee, and lifted the cover of the sugar-bowl. From his somewhat disappointed look Julia realized that it was empty.  
"Oh God, I’m so sorry!" the girl jumped up and rushed to the kitchen. "I knew I forgot about something!"

For someone who hardly ever uses sugar she ran out of it quite fast. Julia rummaged through the cupboards and returned to the living room holding a glass jar and a long spoon.

"Strawberry jam is better than nothing," she breathed out triumphantly and handed to Loki both the jam and the spoon. "I will buy sugar tomorrow."

Loki carefully took the jar from her. Julia bit the inside of her cheek and tried not to laugh aloud as she watched him stick a spoonful of jam into his mouth. The evening was feeling more and more like a tea time at the mad hatter’s.

"Let us play," Loki declared and pushed the dice towards the girl.

Julia lost the first round - mostly because she was watching the magical pawns move by themselves, and the day change to night. From the concerned look on Loki's face and pauses he would take before making a move, the girl could say that the new complicated rules were not easy for him as well. And he was cheating as if his very life depended on it. Every time he rolled the dice he would get six - and even though Julia had no chance to prove a thing, she knew there was magic involved. Every time she would make considerable progress, her figures would change places by themselves, settlers drown in swamps, and cards disappear. When Julia tried to make a list of resources each of them had and keep track of every move, the piece of paper was instantly wet with coffee. Now that their pawns both were very close to the finish, she had to watch Loki’s moves very closely.

"Surrender to me, Midgardian, or my soldiers will ravish your settlements, your fertile lands and orchids will burn as my army marches and takes over the lands I wish to claim mine," Loki uttered solemnly, leaning forward over the table. "You do not have enough troops to withstand the attack."

Julia swallowed and looked at their pawns: both one step away from the finish line. 

"Not happening. I am summoning the militia."  
"Alas, it is the season for gathering crops," Loki replied with a polite smile. "Your settlers won't come for help. What is there left to do, but surrender to me?"

Indeed, the fields around her settlements were changing color to yellow and gold. Julia pursed her lips.

"In this case I shall use my plague card." Desperate times call for desperate measures. She looked around for the last card she had - her chance to bring the rival down she had been saving since the start of this round. 

Loki gave a short laugh.

" _This_ plague card?" He asked casually, turning it in his fingers.  
"Hey, it was mine! I had it since the very beginning. It’s not fair!"

Loki shook his head and lay the card on the table. 

"I do not recall you being in possession of it. Now, you could have surrendered peacefully, but my patience has its limits. Any last words?"

Julia crossed hands on her chest. The board under her settlements, fields and mines turned black and dead. Loki’s pawn moved one more step and crossed the finish line. Julia groaned in despair as she watched the small pretty cows, castles and houses turn to ash. Loki gave her a triumphant smile.

"Coffee." He ordered and lightly pushed his cup towards Julia.  
"Coffee _what_?" She hissed.  
"Coffee... please," Loki smirked. "Are you angry because you lost?"  
"No, I’m angry because you are a fucking cheater. You stole my plague card, otherwise I would have won and you know it. And cheaters don't get coffee."

Loki sneered and strode into the kitchen with an empty cup. The girl rolled her eyes as he passed by and hissed something he did not understand but suspected to be an insult. For a moment Loki considered whether he should tolerate her disrespectful attitude. He pushed the button on the coffee-making machine and turned to look at the maid. With flashing eyes and red cheeks, she looked amusing in her anger and strangely captivating.

"Do you have any theory regarding the dead people?" He asked quickly in order to get the thoughts back on track.

Julia became serious at once, her expression business-like. 

"The most well known ghost in the Warsaw Old Town is the White Maiden." Loki took the cup and jumped up to sit on the counter. Julia cleared her throat. "She was a stunningly beautiful girl, who fell in love with a prince. The guy promised her marriage but his family opposed the misalliance and forced him into marrying an equal. Then the deceived maiden cursed both the prince and his kin, and within the following years almost all of his closest relatives died out. She was then accused of witchery and burned on a fire."  
"So, a deceived grieving maid it is?" Loki looked disappointed. "You spoke of generals and conspirators."  
"Sorry for not living up to your expectations," Julia smirked. "But the White Maid is the ghost with the most reported sightings. On the other hand, scaring people to death does not seem like her style."

Loki puffed with amusement:

"Style?!"

Julia hesitated.

"She was a sad and heartbroken girl, most probably not a witch at all - I mean, the prince’s family must have died out due to some kind of disease. Scaring people to death does not feel like something this poor thing would do."  
"Why not?" Loki shrugged. "Heartbroken women can turn violent and cruel. Wouldn't you seek revenge on a man who had deceived you?"

Julia pondered for a moment.

"Don't compare me to a seventeenth-century girl," she laughed uneasily, shifting on her feet. "I would have killed the fucker with my bare hands if I were in her place, but those were entirely different times. Habits have changed a lot within the last four hundred years."

Indeed, there were no more sweeping skirts or horse carriages; women have claimed the right to provide for their own living and take housing loans. Julia wondered how someone with such long lifespan as Loki perceived the flow of time, and if several centuries felt like several weeks for him.

"We need to take a look at the place where the bodies were found," Loki said, standing up. "I expect you to remain close to me this time in order to avoid accidents."  
"Tomorrow is Friday, the Old Town will be crowded as hell," Julia winced and rubbed her face. "All right, I can drive us there after work, if you meet me at the parking."  


\----------  


Travelling with Loki at the passenger seat was worse than driving her little brother to the kindergarten. Not for a single moment the Asgardian would let her focus on the road.

"Your car sounds like a dying animal," Loki said, studying the safety belt buckle.  
"Hey, you want me to get a ticket?!" Julia snapped and gave him a fierce look. "Buckle up right now!"

Loki obeyed her with a short laugh, and immediately reached for a cigarette lighter.

"Careful, it’s hot inside," Julia glanced at Loki as he was turning the object in his fingers.  
"Are you sure your vehicle is safe to use?" he asked again. 

The engine let out a pained howl as Julia speeded up. The girl sighed.

"As long as the wheels don't fall off. I have an inspection scheduled for next week, let's see if they can do something about my baby..."  
"You have your own house, it means that you are not struggling to make both ends meet." Loki speculated. "If you are not poor, why don't you buy yourself a new vehicle?"

Julia bit her lip.

"The house isn't mine yet… I mean, not completely. I have a loan I shall be paying off for the following twenty two years in regular monthly installments. And as for a new car, God knows how much I dream of it, but a good one is too expensive. And I don't feel ready for a second credit."  
"I could get you a new vehicle which would suit you more," Loki mused, looking at the window.

Julia gave him a short surprised look. Which one would suit her? A retro black Corvette would be nice. Or a sleek silver BMW. Or...

"But I won't do it, because I dislike you." Loki finished with a shrug and a sneer appeared on his face as he watched her cheeks turn heating red.

Julia groaned with irritation.

"I wouldn't want a new car from you, because where would you get it anyway, steal from someone?" she snapped. 

He was so annoying and childish.

"Please can you behave?" Julia begged when Loki reached for her phone secured on the dashboard. "Haven't you even travelled by car?!"  
"I have back in New York," Loki acknowledged. "But it was called “a limousine”. And I sat in the back."  
"Sounds like a good idea for our return trip," Julia huffed and made the music louder, giving him a meaningful look.

They turned right at a roundabout and stopped at the lights. Julia relaxed to the sounds of a woman's soprano and melodic violin, accompanied by energetic percussion sounds. Loki was silent, drumming his fingers to the rhythm.

"Too fast," he said with disapproval as they joined the car flow at a three-line road.  
"Oh, don't worry, even the police exceeds the speed limit here. To be honest, I usually drive faster, I just didn't want to shock you..."  
"No. The song. It should be played slower," Loki tossed his head towards her phone plugged in at the dashboard. "And the instruments the bards are using sound very peculiar. It is not supposed to go like this."

Julia giggled. 

"If the sun should shine a bit brighter, we can stop by and fill in a formal complaint. I apologise in the name of all music bands whose performance does not satisfy you," she hit the turn signal. "Don't you think they know better?"  
"No, because I know this melody since childhood," Loki replied. "And I know exactly how it goes."  
"No way," Julia countered, distracting herself from the road and turning towards her passenger. "It is a Swedish Medieval love ballad, called Herr Mannelig, about a knight who refuses to marry a troll girl despite promises of great wealth and magic gifts. The piece is rather famous, the version playing right now is a rock cover in Italian.* How on Earth can you know this melody?"  
"Because it is an old Asgardian song, mother used to sing it to me before sleep," Loki said. "I wonder how it reached Midgard, the merchants must have brought it. A troll, you said? I see you changed the contents to adjust the ballad for your reality."  
"And what was it about originally?" Julia squeezed into a free parking place a moment before a taxi driver and snorted with satisfaction, as the irritated sounds of a car honk filled the air.

There was a longer pause before Loki responded. 

"More or less the same, but it was no troll asking for marriage, but a Jotunn."

Julia heard slight bitterness in the man's voice despite his attempt to sound indifferent. She pulled out the car keys and asked with caution:

"Did it go well… in your version?" 

Loki looked at her with pity:

"The suitor was banished from Asgard back to Jotunheim for all eternity, because no Asgardian would ever wed such a hideous beast." He unfastened a seatbelt. "Enough of talking. Show the way."

Julia got out of the car, watching Loki with concern. Even if the topic was unpleasant to him, it was almost impossible to tell from the way he behaved, tensed shoulders and a slight frown being the only signals giving him away.

"It is narrow-minded and racist as hell, if you ask me," the girl quietly murmured under her nose, heading towards the parking meter with change. 

She was not sure if Loki heard her. But he did.  


\----------  


They proceeded along the broad paved street, passing the remains of red brick fortifications. The crowd around them was savouring the Friday afternoon in the warm sunbeams, lazily strolling along the defensive walls, sitting on benches with ice cream cones. Julia fought the urge to take off her long-sleeved cardigan, wondering if the burn markings on her forearm will make her stand out of the crowd.

"Your city is very strange," Loki said, attentively studying the brightly-painted old houses surrounding the central square with a fountain. "It looks old but it feels new."

Julia smiled at him with pride.

"That's because it is both old and new. Remember I told you about the war, and that Warsaw was completely destroyed? Well, there were no houses left here, nothing left - only ruins, and cellars where people had to live when they returned to the capital after war was over. Everything you see around was rebuilt from old city plans and drawings, even the smallest details like ornaments on door knobs."

As they moved forward, the empty space around them was very noticeable, especially with the rest of the street so crowded that the relaxed slow mob was not moving but rather stamping in one place.

"You created this… buffer zone around us, didn't you?" Julia asked with interest.  
"Yes, I did," Loki replied in a slightly boastful manner. "It is very useful on crowded streets, the people around feel a strong desire to steer clear."

They approached one of the buildings with a dark brown front and beautifully carved columns surrounding a low wooden door. Loki brushed his fingers over the wall. The girl was standing behind his back, studying the crime scene from a somewhat safer distance. The Asgardian motioned his hand, urging Julia to come closer. As the girl approached him, Loki pulled her to his side and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. Julia jerked and looked at him with concern. 

"Sh-h. This way we will not attract unnecessary attention." Loki said, holding her firmly. For a moment Julia thought that with no effort he could snap her spine in half, if he wanted.

His fingers lightly touched her temple. Julia had to acknowledge that Loki was right, they looked like a couple which stopped by for a romantic timeout.

"Look where the trail leads, and walk by my side." Loki commanded.

They strolled along the street, surrounded by noisy groups of tourists. The sparkling crimson trail on the ground was disappearing under shuffling feet every now and then. Finally, Loki and Julia turned into one of the narrow side streets and stopped before a low and rather damaged cellar door with no lock on it.

"Are you sure that the ghost of a deceived maiden is the only inhabitant of this part of town?" Loki asked with concern and let go of the girl.  
"Well, there is one old legend about a basilisk," Julia said without certainty, "A giant snake lived in the sewerage systems under the city, able to kill a man with one gaze. The story says that prisoners convicted to death were offered a chance to fight the monster. They always died in a fight, until finally one man approached the monster with a mirror, and the creature saw its own reflection and was defeated. But this would mean that the basilisk is dead."  
"Ghosts do not hide in sewerage and cellars, but snakes do," stated Loki. "If a basilisk can kill a human being with one gaze, that would explain the look of fear on the victims’ faces. The place is too crowded now, we have to return tomorrow at night."  
"Why not today?" Julia asked impatiently.  
"Allfather stuff," Loki smirked, giving her a small mocking bow. "I hope I can be excused."

They were already back by her house when an idea hit Julia. She slammed the brakes abruptly and the car jolted. The girl turned to Loki and grabbed his forearm.

"The song!" She exclaimed.

Loki looked at the girl without understanding.

"You said it is an old Asgardian love song, I said “no way”, because when we had spoken before, you told me there were no contacts between Asgard and my world. And we are not reflected on any of your plans and maps, only the Superhero Earth is. But what if you are wrong?! What if instead of two different planets named Earth you just used to draw one because it made no difference for you?"

Julia stopped abruptly to catch a breath, eyeing Loki impatiently. The man frowned, and then spoke slowly, understanding reflected on his face:

"You think that there had always been two Realms, and in a certain moment of time one Midgard disappeared, but due to inaccuracy in the notes this change had not been properly reflected? Good!" Loki smiled and gave the girl a nod of acknowledgement. "Or it could have happened the other way: there had always been one Midgard, but at a certain point it was somehow split in two, your Realm hidden from the Nine." 

Julia laughed out loud and slammed the steering wheel, unable to hold the excitement from her accidental solving a potentially important mystery.

"Do you think it can be important?" She asked, still grinning widely.

Loki frowned a bit, brushing the hand through his hair.

"Considering the fact, that your Realm reappeared at the same time the magic started to wake up - I think it might be. Now it is important to find out, how and when your Realm got separated."  
"I'm a fucking genius!" Julia sang out, opening the car door and jumping out. "What now?"

Loki got out of the car and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the warm car roof.

"The simplest way to see when your Realm was separated is to compare the historical records. We need to find the moment when events start to develop differently." He said.

Julia drummed her fingers on the car roof, rocking from heels to toes. Loki watched her with an indulging smile.

"You behave like a little child," he chuckled.  
"I am just happy because I contributed to our common cause. This is what being a productive member of the team means."  
"There is no team." Loki rolled his eyes, but the smirk would not leave his lips. 

Julia considered their further steps.

"I will gather all available information from my end. Can you get me some history books from the other Earth to compare? Actually, school textbooks would be the best option."  
"I am afraid, I am not welcome in the other Midgard. But I think my step-brother can arrange what you need." Loki nodded.  
"You mean… _Thor_?" Julia whispered with admiration. " _The Thor_ from the Avengers?"

Loki slammed the car door so hard that the vehicle jolted, making the girl jump away in fear. 

"I happen to have only one step-brother named Thor," Loki replied in an emotionless voice, pursing his lips at the sight of excitement on her face.

The awe in her voice felt like a punch in the guts. He did not understand why it hit him so hard, it almost felt as if he had been betrayed. Maybe because he did not expect it now - relaxed and distracted by the warm sunshine, the accidental discovery of a connection between their Realms, and the overall pleasant afternoon. Maybe because the maid’s company bothered him much less than he would want to acknowledge. _The Thor from the Avengers._ What if he had been cursed with being a pale shadow of his step-brother for all eternity?!

The only thing Loki wanted was to see the maid die a painful death, to squeeze her throat and hear the small bones break, and watch her agony. Maybe the basilisk would devour her. He would withstand the burning pain of the binding spell for the sight of that.

"As I said, I am busy tonight." Loki snapped, his back straight and hands locked behind. "Those Midgardians were killed around three in the morning, thence I shall arrive at two. Be ready."  


\----------  


Sometimes things do not go as planned.

After Loki departed, Julia was left with a sinking feeling of guilt for the words she had thoughtlessly allowed to slip off her tongue. The Asgardian could hardly be called a hero, but Julia had to admit that Loki was not half as bad as she thought he would be, and he clearly did not deserve the attitude she had involuntarily given him. Even though she had forced him into helping her, it did not change the fact that willingly or not, Loki has saved a bunch of people from horrible death, while Thor and the rest of the Avengers remained a colorful unreachable fairytale. 

Loki stopped at her porch, and the girl did not try and ask him to come in. Even when they first met, he did not seem to despise and hate her so much. Back then, five month ago, she would be scared and alert but she would not care. Now she could not find herself a place, the awful burning sensation of guilt and shame tearing her apart from the inside, making it hard to breathe. Julia did not even know how to approach the problem.

"I…"  
"We are leaving." Loki barked out and walked towards her car. 

He did not even look at her. This time she deserved it - but it did not make Julia feel any better. The ride to the city centre went on in complete silence, the walk to the small cellar door in the narrow street as well. 

In front of the low door Julia handed Loki a long scarf.

"The look of a basilisk kills," she reminded, avoiding eye contact.  
"Its gaze is deadly for humans, and I am no human." Loki said shortly, pushing the door open.

The maid was shifting on her feet uneasily, peering into the darkness of the cellar.

"Do you really want me to go in there with you?" She asked in a hoarse voice.

To be honest, he did not - her presence would have been of no use. However, she clearly seemed willing to stay at the surface, and Loki just could not fight it.

"As far as I remember, your presence was one of the main conditions of our contract." Loki spoke, watching her fear and distress with satisfaction. 

The Midgardian swallowed and lowered her head. Loki stepped forward, onto the spiral staircase leading into the deep dark cellar. In the uneven light of the magical fires they walked forward between columns holding the vault, some old wooden boxes, moldy planks and damaged pieces of furniture. There was a wide passage in the lumber around them, as if someone had cleared out the way. Loki made a turn and stopped abruptly as he discerned a long snake tail in the darkness before him. He noticed the maid hastily cover her eyes with a scarf and brush her fingers over the wall, helpless in the darkness. 

"Chamber of secrets is open again…" Julia whispered quietly.

The giant scaled tale moved on the floor, pushing away wooden boxes. The maid behind him jumped at the sound and stepped back, pressing her back to the wall.

The basilisk was at least twenty meters long; a strong body of a big snake with a small head, crowned with a colorful crest. The monster was coal-black, its scaled skin reflected the uneven light of the fen-fires. The eyes of a creature were bright yellow, with no pupils - hypnotising and shining like precious stones. The snake coiled up and stretched its neck. The creature’s head touched the vaulted ceiling of the dungeon, as the monster was observing him with huge yellow eyes. The basilisk darted forward, its tail pushing forward like a spring.

Loki felt a strange relief at a chance to let the fury and frustration out. He did not try to cover himself from the attacks of the giant snake, he just walked forward. And as he moved, huge shields of ice were emerging from thin air right in the place where the monster was aiming a deadly blow. The snake’s tail whipped the air and the very tip of it, covered in spikes, brushed Loki’s arm. He growled, and a few drops of blood dewed the floor, but the man did not stop nor hide. Instead, he thrust out his right hand, and a fan of long spikes of ice flew off his fingers. The basilisk shrieked and darted to a side, crushing several columns supporting the ceiling. The monster was evidently scared and confused, a long time had passed since the creature had encountered a rival, not a prey. Loki felt adrenaline rise, as he watched the snake thrash around in the dungeon in futile attempt to escape. The monster screeched and crushed into a wall; and Loki threw at the creature a thin sharp spear of ice. He let out a short, hoarse cruel laugh as he noticed blood on the ice spike.

And then he realized that the fleeing creature was heading to the entrance, approaching the maid. Loki cursed and waved his hands, rising a wall of ice in the monster’s way, but the basilisk did not slow down, smashing into the obstacle at full speed. The loud brattle filled the dungeon. 

Loki glanced at the Midgardian, her back pressed to the brick wall and her whole body trembling. With the eyes tightly covered by the material the maid looked helpless, and for a moment he felt a temptation to let the basilisk approach her, hurt her - but only for a moment.

Since their journey to Japan Loki mastered traveling by portals to perfection. He opened one, and then another in the monster's way, and rushed into the shining gate. Loki emerged out of the portal between the basilisk and the Midgardian and thrust out her right hand with a small round mirror. The monster hissed, approaching him at full speed, and locked its eyes on its own reflection.

The body of the snake became completely motionless, yet it slid for a couple more moments across the stone floor. The creature was still as a sculpture carved of stone, it big yellow eyes forever open. Silence filled the dungeon. Loki heard the maid behind his back let out a shaky breath, and he felt a light touch on his back as she stretched the hands in front of her, still blindfolded.

"Is it over? Are you alive?" her voice was trembling. 

Loki fought an urge to leave her here alone. Without a word, he pressed a hand to the creature’s head. The body of the snake covered in ice and within a moment with a loud crack burst into little pieces, falling apart. Loki turned away, covering the face from sharp pieces of frozen flesh flying across the dungeon. The maid yelped in terror, covering her head and clutching onto the cloak on his back.

"We are done here." Loki said and jerked his shoulder, pulling his coat out of the maid’s fingers. Julia cautiously pulled the scarf off her eyes.

Loki brushed tiny pieces of ice off his coat and headed into the labyrinth of passages leading to the surface. The girl studied the remains of the snake, clenched her teeth and darted after him.

"Will you please wait?" She cried out and noticed Loki stubbornly toss his head.

He made one more turn to the right and noticed a low door locked from the outside. From the gaps between the planks one could see moonlight falling down at the stones and clay on the floor under their feet. 

Loki took a deep breath and with one violent kick hit the door open.

"Please stop for a moment," Julia begged, feeling the pulsating tight knot inside her stomach.  
"No. Move." The man ordered sharply and in one leap made it up the stairs from the cellar.

Julia bit her lip, ran up and darted down the narrow street after Loki.

"Stop! Wait!" She yelled as he ignored her again. Julia took a deep breath. " _Loki!_ "

Calling him by the name for the first time felt strange. It felt… _important_ , as if she had allowed a secret she had been carrying for a long time to roll off her lips. Julia could not tell why she had never done it before. She saw Loki stop. The seconds lasted like hours, and Julia felt tears flood her eyes as she watched his tall figure motionless at the end of the street.

"What do you want?" At last she heard a bitter tired voice. 

Loki turned around and folded his hands on the chest, watching her with weariness and spite. Julia bravely marched forward, every following step more and more difficult under his hostile gaze.

"I… I want to apologize." She started to speak and stopped in the middle of the way, unsure what he would do if she came closer. Julia whimpered, angry with herself for being stupid and inconsiderate. She hid her burning cheeks in palms and groaned. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you; I am an ungrateful idiot and a bitch, and I am very ashamed of myself. I feel bad and I want to die. Can you please not hate me so much?"

She felt so small. Julia lowered her head and counted his quiet steps, as the man approached her and stopped a couple of meters away. Loki was studying her in silence for a longer moment, and Julia lost all hope for an answer.

"Yes, I think I can do that." Loki finally drawled in a low voice.  


Julia jumped up as he spoke, and dared to raise her eyes from a buckle on his broad chest, and to look at the man's face. She could swear that for a short moment she noticed a small smile curve his lips.

"Now, move." He repeated, no cold fury in his voice this time. "The city guards shall arrive any time soon."  


\----------  


Sometimes things do not go as planned at all. 

Sometimes you hit the rock bottom, sometimes you do things you later regret and sometimes, in a very unexpected way, everything works out just fine.

Julia tilted her head back and looked at the dark sky slowly turning pink. She sat on the porch with an open bottle of wine and she was definitely going to drink it all up. She took a sip straight out of the bottle and laughed.

"Loki." Julia whispered, listening to the sound of his name, and she just could not hold a stupid grin. 

She was not the only one to greet the dawn sleepless.

Loki stood by his brother’s side, watching the palace and the city below them wake up for a new day. The week was eventful and frantic, and left him with many things to think over.

Till this day Loki had never reflected on the nature of their _partnership_ \- as the maid liked to call the deal she had forced upon him. 

Looking back at the events of their first encounter, Loki had to acknowledge that the Midgardian found the best possible way out of the deadlock. He valued inventiveness and agility of mind, and maybe in other circumstances he would have applauded the girl's ingenuity. 

To his and her misfortune, there could be no other circumstances. He was a slave and she was a warden. The necessity to descend to Midgard every week made him angry, and the need to protect the humans caused nothing but irritation and spite. He hated the maid wholeheartedly - or actually used to, and he failed to register when his attitude had started to change - slightly, but steadily altering the way he perceived their deal and his part in it. Loki did not cherish any illusions: he knew he had not been good - oh no; he had been evil, cruel and egoistic. He had tried to cause the maid suffering in every possible way. Seeing her care for him despite that was strange, her distress and guilt upon causing him anguish and emotional pain was surprising. It seemed that whatever he wanted to call their unusual deal, the girl defined it as a partnership and in earnest followed the definition. 

There was one more thing bothering Loki, leaving him restless. The sound of his name on her lips was unusual and strangely comforting. 

Maybe this is what being part of a team means.

"You need books? Midgardian books?"

Loki took a sip of mead and nodded, giving his brother some time to process his request. He waited with patience under Thor’s suspicious gaze. Most probably, his step-brother could not think of a way how Loki could have used the requested books to cause trouble to anyone, because the frown on his forehead smoothed, and Thor gave him a smile.

"I shall ask Lady Jane to assist me with your request." Thor said. "Will you share with me the reason for such strange need?"  
"I just need to check one thing." Loki replied evasively, unwilling to reveal to Thor the existence of the Other Midgard, and the deal he was part of.

Thor shrugged, accepting the vague answer of his brother. Since the prophecy of Ragnarok had been spoken Loki dedicated all his free time to search for a possible solution. Thor had seen his brother happy, grieving, angry and close to insanity, but never had he been so focused and concerned. The worst thing was that Thor did not have a single idea what to do and how to help.

"It is time for me to head back to Midgard. I shall provide you with what you require." Thor heavily slapped his brother on the back. "Please remember one thing: you do not need to be alone in this, brother, I care for the fate of our Realm as much as you."  
"I am not alone in this," Loki replied, shaking a heavy hand off his shoulder with an habitual movement.

And he suddenly realized that what he said was true.


	13. Us and Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time in Mexico Loki and Julia have an argument about the nature of men, and save the day (again), but it is not as important as the fact that Loki looks at his parter with different eyes ( _finally!_ ).  
> Enjoy!

The city was melting down in the unexpectedly hot beams of afternoon sun. The air vibrated above sidewalks, buildings and fresh green leaves covering the trees.  
Loki approached the porch of the maid's house and detached a small yellow post-it off the door.

_Dear Loki_  
_Please use the garage door._  
_Regards_  
_Julia_

Loki did not think that 'dear' was the right word to use, but he obediently walked off the stairs and around the corner of the house. The Asgardian pushed a metal door to a side and stepped in, only to see a spray can flying at his face at full speed.  


He jolted to a side, and the object hit the wall in the place where his head had been a moment ago, and fell into a big carton box full of trash. Loki frowned, scanning the premise with wary eyes.

"Good evening!" The maid's head appeared for a moment above the car roof, and was gone again.  
"I strongly advise you not to throw objects at me. This shall not end well for you." Loki said in a disapproving menacing tone, going around the vehicle, and heard a short muffled laugh.  
"Sorry for the headshot! I thought it's a good idea to clean up the mess while I wait for you." The Midgardian replied, and one more object flew over the car and landed among other pieces of garbage.

Loki stepped over some boxes and bundles and finally made it towards the maid.

He stopped abruptly and eyed the Midgardian with confusion. The girl’s head and shoulders were inside the car, while the other half was sticking out of the open car door.

Loki raised his brows at the sight of her legs, which seemed incredibly long due to complete lack of clothing. The Midgardian leaned forward a little more and stood on tiptoes - and he finally noticed a small piece of blue material covering the top of her thighs. That was a rather radical change from dark skirts, long-sleeved shirts and thick blue pants he had seen her wear. However indecent and confusing it was, Loki could not say that he minded such a view.

The maid stood straight, threw a dirty wipe on the floor and took small white cables out of her ears.

"I thought that it's not that bad." She declared proudly and reached into a pocket for a phone.

Loki raised his brows. The maid shook her left hand with burn marks in the air.

"I mean, I can't wear a long sweater all my life. Hell, some guy made a tattoo of a dick on his forehead, my wrist doesn't look that awful."  
"What?!" Loki breathed out, and a mixture of amusement and pity reflected on his face.  
"Don't try to understand, people can be weird," she replied with a giggle. "Apparently it is called self-expression." 

Loki followed the Midgardian up the stairs, from the garage into the living room. The maid was rummaging around the house, throwing stuff into a colorful backpack and talking non-stop. 

He was paying little attention. Her knee-long formal skirts were too short for Asgardian standards, but tolerable. The revealing attire the maid chose to wear today was completely inappropriate.  


He was not going to deny the obvious: the Midgardian was rather lovely - not as beautiful as the women of Asgard, her breast too small and mouth too big and eyes too narrow and freckles all over her nose - but altogether attractive. 

"Just give me two more minutes, I’ll get the phone charger!"

Julia ran off the stairs and crouched to lace her sneakers tighter.

"Almost ready." She breathed out, standing up straight.  
"You are not going… like this, are you?!" Loki asked slowly, watching her with concern.

Julia blinked at him without understanding.

"You are barely dressed," he explained uneasily. "No decent Asgardian maid would ever reveal so much bare skin in public."  
"Oh…" Julia finally understood the reason for his tension and for the gaze she could sense on her back for the whole time. The girl felt uneasy herself and pulled down the T-shirt. "This is normal clothing. For summer... Because of the weather. Don't you have summer in Asgard? And yes, I am going like this. It is hot as hell in Poland, imagine what Mexico will be like."  


\----------  


Mexico was a thousand times worse, it smashed them on the head with unbearable heat and fried them up. Julia and Loki were approaching the small mining town in the best Western movie traditions - from the side of the desert, under the blinding white sun.

The reason for their arrival was a short newspaper article from three weeks ago about a peculiar series of deaths in a local orphanage. The facility hosted thirty five pupils that all of a sudden started to die out. There were no reported epidemics in the region, there was no quarantine order in the town, but there was plenty of Mexican folklore related to witchery and magical rituals. It seemed like a good reason for a city break.

The town in the Sonora state of Mexico was tiny, shabby, and incredibly sleepy. The place looked like it had seen better times: the mining industry here had languished about forty years ago. The orphanage was located at the outskirts of town in a beautiful nineteenth-century mansion surrounded by a garden and a tall fence. Loki and Julia entered the gate and at once spotted out a group of children accompanied by a woman in her fifties. Loki marched towards them with a decisive look on his face, evidently willing to get over with the witch hunt as soon as possible.

Mind control worked, as it always did. The only problem Loki did not consider was the language barrier. The Mexican was talking, gesticulating and grabbing the sleeve of his tunic, and the Asgardian could neither stop nor understand her monologue.

Loki puffed with annoyance and gave Julia a rather helpless look. The girl smirked. 

"Allow me," she patted him on the elbow and approached the woman.

Speaking Spanish after a three year break was challenging, especially under Loki's surprised gaze. The woman was a nurse taking care of the children, a good Catholic and a very passionate talker. Within the next twenty minutes Julia told the Mexican most of her biography and in exchange received the details of the life of every single person in the nurse’s _familia_. Loki was walking around them in circles. Julia winked at him and saw him roll his eyes. Finally the nurse - Consuelo, forty-seven years old, widow, three children - passed from family business to the main point: the strange events at the orphanage, which took her another half an hour to describe.

Loki cocked his head to a side as Julia approached him.

"Oh, don't worry, it only took forever," he drawled. "I did not know you speak their language."

Julia smiled and shrugged.

"I didn't know I still do. God, I have exceeded my limit of talking for the next three years." 

Of course she did not. Loki followed her out of the mansion territory, listening to the girl’s never ending patter.

"Her brother owns a hotel - a pretty neat three-star - we can stay there. There is a shop down the road, we can buy something to eat; and we'd better not drink tap water..."  
"The orphanage?..." Loki interrupted the girl, reminding her of the reason for their arrival.  
"Yes, right. The first child got sick about half a year ago; since then twelve have died already. All those who have fallen ill experience the same kidney failure at a certain point. They didn't mine for any radioactive metals here, so the environment is definitely not the cause of this disease. Also, the malady does not spread among other children in town, only the orphans. The nurse thinks it is an evil witch - _la bruja_ \- that comes for them. Children sleep with the lights on and the local priest comes to the orphanage to perform a house blessing every week, but the problem persist." 

The shop they stepped into was small and full of strange goods. A sleepy old man grunted as the Midgardian greeted him, and lowered his head over some book. The maid stormed through the place, taking colorful packages from the shelves. She pointed at six bottles of water secured together with cellophane, and Loki obediently lifted them from the floor, following her towards the sleepy salesman. He waited as the maid inserted a small piece of plastic into a rectangular box with buttons, watched her throw the purchased goods into a rustling bag. She handed it to him as well as the water, taking a rounded glass bottle of tequila to carry herself.

The promised hotel was only within ten minutes walk from the orphanage - a neat two-storey colonial house surrounded by a bushy garden. They were the only visitors, therefore their arrival caused extreme joy to the owner. He handed Julia and Loki the keys, informed them that there is no air conditioning system in the building, and walked them up the stairs to the rooms. The man was as talkative as his sister and Julia suspected that it was Loki's intervention which caused the hotel owner to cease taking and quickly walk down the stairs, leaving them be.

They left the purchases in the rooms and returned to the orphanage for a longer look around. The familiar nurse was still in the garden watching over a group of pale skinny children. Thanks to Loki's magic the personnel of the facility did not ask questions and did not prevent them from walking around the place. The orphanage looked poorly: located in a once luxurious colonial mansion with a fountain and a garden, now some windows were boarded up with wooden planks, and the paint was falling off the facade.

"All these kids look sick." Julia spoke, a frown crossing her forehead. "I wonder if they are fed well."

Loki sat at a bench by the fountain and scanned the building with his eyes.

"The witch these people fear must be of incredible power." He said with concern. "I am unable to catch her trail. I have seen spells which allow to mask your magical imprint as someone else's, but I've never heard of someone who can make it completely invisible."

They stayed in the facility for the whole day. Quiet pale children moved like shadows around the territory; from dormitories to classrooms, to the dining room and outside. Julia could not get rid of frustration while watching them, so different from her brother who created more mess and chaos than all inhabitants of this orphanage together. She kept fishing out the staff for a chat and then summarising to Loki the basic facts, and then all over again. She had a chance to communicate with everyone except the headmaster - apparently a very busy man who was gone for the whole day.

By sunset Julia could barely walk and talk. They did not find out much. Since the strange malady had taken possession of the orphanage the children's usual routine included school, hospital visits and more and more often - the nearby cemetery. The nurses and mentors turned out to be very prone to superstitions and had no other explanation but a witch who chose helpless orphans as prey. And to be honest, Julia fell under impression that they were right.

Julia and Loki decided to take a walk to the local hospital as well, just to be on the safe side. The town was so small they made it there within half an hour. They waited in the main hall till there were almost no visitors left. Loki studied a tall doctor in a blue robe and a nurse walking past them, and gave a small nod of satisfaction. 

"We can look around." He said lowly.  
"There are cameras." Julia replied. "You can trick people into looking away but you can't fool a recording."  
"I won't need to." Loki countered with a short laugh.

He stood up and Julia blinked with surprise: his clothes was turning blue. As the girl raised her eyes to look at his face, she saw his skin become darker, and the hair shorter. The tall green-eyed doctor pulled on a surgical mask and tossed his head towards the long hall leading inside the hospital. Julia stood up and as she glanced at her legs, she noticed that her skin changed color as well. The girl’s jaw dropped.

"Oh my God… You changed me!" She squeaked and hectically delved into the bag for a mirror. "Oh my God, oh my God, I must see this!"

The doctor nodded, his eyes glimmering with amusement.

"You have too little clothing on you to transform it into a blue robe. I thought that a healer accompanied by a local maiden shall not seem suspicious."

Julia studied her reflection in the mirror: black curly hair, big brown eyes and the shape of her face more round. She looked up at Loki.

"Awesome!"  
"I know." She could not see his smirk from under the mask but she could clearly hear it. "Let us take a walk now."

The place was sterile clean and unexpectedly well equipped, especially the operating rooms. They peeked into every ward and office, even the closets filled with mops and buckets and laundry carts.

"I still cannot feel any magic." Loki said, tossing his head with irritation. "It troubles me a lot. That witch is very good at hiding."

Julia shrugged. They stopped by the reception counter and she rummaged through old-fashioned medical records: thick books with illegible handwriting. 

"It happens that some children in orphanages are sick - this is mostly the reason why foster parents do not want to take them - but this place is just hardcore." Julia ruffled the pages of the medical record. "Seven of them had a one-side kidney failure, a dozen have undergone several blood transfusions within the last six months and will be undergoing an operation…. It's good that the orphanage director at least cares for the poor things and takes them here to the doctor's..."

Julia watched Loki crouch by the reception desk and carve out a rune under the counter, the same as he had done in the garden beside the orphanage.

"If any spell is cast in this place I shall know." He said and stood up. "There is no point in keeping ward at night, we can return to the hostelry."  
Julia could not agree more, her feet sore and shoulders burnt after a day of walking around the town in the hot sunbeams.  


\----------  


Around eleven in the evening Julia heard a short knock on the door.

"I am bored. My box with moving images stopped working." Loki declared from the doorstep.

She moved aside to let him pass. Loki looked around her room - an exact copy of his, the same shabby furniture and wooden blinds on windows. The girl clearly had a problem coping with the hot and stuffy weather: her forehead was covered in small drops of sweat, and hair gathered up in a messy bun, opening the sunburnt shoulders.

Julia glanced at Loki: he was dressed in his usual tall boots, leather pants and a tunic of dark green linen, face as pale as always.

"The box is called a TV. Aren't you hot?" She moaned, pressing a misted bottle of cold water to her neck.

A ceiling fan was lazily turning above their heads.

"No." Loki replied and sat down on a chair. "I have an ability to cool down the air around me and freeze the water. It comes in handy when the weather is hot like today."

Julia signed with envy and took a sip of cold water. The hot air was flowing into the room in waves even through closed window blinds. 

Loki rolled his eyes, watching the girl. He raised a hand, snapping the fingers a couple of times, and motioned it in the air. A swirl of chilly air flew around the room, speeding up the ceiling fan. Small drops of sweat on the girl's skin turned into tiny pieces of hoarfrost. Julia drew a shaky breath and hugged herself, feeling the goosebumps on her arms and shoulders.

Loki leaned back on the chair and sneered, watching the freezing maid wrap a blanket around her shoulders. He almost got used to her revealing apparel, and the view of her naked legs did not distract him anymore. Maybe only a little.

The girl approached him and stretched out a hand with a heavy bottle of tequila she had purchased in the morning.

"It is too warm. Do some more magic!" She urged him and shook the bottle in the air.  
"Do I look like I do charity?" Loki drawled, raising his brows.

Julia pursed her lips, trying to hold a laugh.

"Every royalty on Earth does, even the Queen of England. I advise you to embrace at least one good habit."

Loki rolled his eyes and lazily stood up.

"The concept of charity does not seem appealing to me." He purred lowly, looking at her from above. "Tell me, what shall I get in return for my kind assistance?"

Julia gave him a short suspicious look. It almost sounded as if he was flirting with her. 

"My eternal gratitude," she drawled, copying his tone, "chocolate chip cookies, and a remote control for my TV."

Loki narrowed his eyes, watching her closely, and nodded. He pressed the index finger to the bottleneck and slid it down the curved side. Rime covered the bottle, and Julia let out a victorious cry and twisted off the cap. 

Loki took a drink from her and sat on the chair, aiming the remote control at the TV. The beverage was only three years old, but he had to admit the taste wasn't that bad.

Julia sat Indian style on the bed under a thick blanket and enjoyed the cold drink, chocolate chip cookies and the cool air in the room. Despite Loki’s presence she felt relaxed, and she blinked slowly, contemplating the blue reflections of the TV screen on the walls, and the profile of the Asgardian lit by soft yellow glimmer of a night light. He was peering into the screen with attention, sometimes switching the channels from sharks on Animal Planet, to CNN, to local news and then to MTV.

"Pathetic," Loki finally voiced his opinion and turned the TV off.

Julia blinked a couple of times, focusing on him, and lowered her drink. 

"Excuse me?"  
"If this TV box reflects the essence of matters which concern your race, then my perception of Midgardians is well grounded." Loki leaned back on the chair and cocked his head to a side, giving Julia a haughty look.

The girl shook her head.

"What do you mean?"  
"The things which your race cherishes are all primitive and instincts-based. All events I have witnessed now - without exception - confirm what I say: you are driven by fear, lust and greed only, which makes your race easy to rule. You are chaotic and mindless, you do not think of the future. Your women fear to be raped yet dress like whores, you poison and destroy the soil your kin will walk on. Your whole race is scared and lost. You may not like this, but you have to admit that my words are true."

Julia frowned and lowered her feet on the floor.

"Hold your horses… We are not primitive. You have watched the TV for half an hour, and you are ready to judge the entire human race? You know nothing about us - actually, I am the only human that you have come to know. Do I look primitive to you?"

Loki took a pause before responding.

"No, you are somewhat different from this mindless herd…" Upon him saying so Julia huffed with annoyance, folding her arms on the chest. "Do not consider my words as a compliment. This is where your problem lies: you aim too high. Any sane person would have called the guards when witnessing a stranger in their dwelling, yet you stepped out of the line - and look where it took you. You attempt to save and protect this cattle from the upcoming catastrophe, you even dragged me into this, but have you ever thought that this struggle of yours shall not change a thing because the fate of human race had been decided already?"  
"First you call yourself God, but now you speak of fate?!" Julia leaned forward and gave Loki a cold mocking look. "There is no such thing as destiny or fate, you should know it better than me, the first ice giant to become the Allfather of Asgard!" 

Loki gave her a warning look.

"Fate is something meant for small beings like humans, not me." He replied with certainty. "I think your race deserves what is coming for them, and your attempt to stop this is both funny and pitiful.'

The girl tossed away the empty glass.

"Don't you dare say what anyone deserves!" Julia jumped up, alcohol and wrath making her bold and careless. "You are a maniac who started a war to get your father’s acknowledgement! You destroyed the whole city and you dare speak of what others deserve?! Little children don't deserve to be sick, people don't deserve to be torn to pieces by magical beasts, but you deserve a fucking electric chair!"

Loki slammed the glass on the table with such force that the amber fluid spilled out.

"Mind your words, woman!" He groaned, rising from the chair. "You don't want me to rip your throat out, do you?"

Julia stepped forward and pushed him in the chest with her index finger.

"Don't fucking threaten me, and don't you ever say you are better than us! You are no different than I am! You say we are primitive, chaotic? Well, yes, you want to know why!? I am twenty six, if I'm lucky I shall have twice as much, but if I'm not - I don't even know if I make it through this year! I had to choose what to do with my life when I was eighteen, and you have thousands of years to decide if you want to be a lawyer, a painter or a crazy magical Hitler. Yes, we are scared, we are lost, we don't know what we want and we have no idea when it all ends. It is easy to be thoughtful and good when you live almost forever, and yet you failed completely! We just need time, and time is what we don't have!"

Julia ceased talking, panting heavily, her eyes locked with Loki's. She was so angry with him, she could not recall if she had ever been so wound up before. She wished him to be in terrible pain right now, she wanted nothing more than to grab the heavy round bottle and hit him on the head on and on, till there is blood, till she beats all the haughtiness and disdain out of him.

People are not weak or greedy or bad. And she had no idea why it was so important to make him understand.

The Asgardian drew a shaky breath, watching the maid so close to him, her body slightly trembling like a taut string. They raked gazes at each other in silence, both edgy and enraged. 

Julia jumped up as she heard a loud crack. Loki looked down on a glass he was squeezing in his hand so tightly that it broke into pieces. He opened a palm and the shards of glass tinted with blood fell on the carpet. The man blinked with surprise, then raised his eyes at Julia and stormed out of her room, slamming the door behind his back. 

Julia sank on the floor. She could not tell what seemed more surreal - the pleasant evening and drinks, the argument she did not expect would become so wild, or the fact that Loki left without causing her harm. She pressed shaky hands to her chest and realized how cold the room was.

Loki cursed and opened the water tap, washing off the blood. If he had stayed in that room for one more moment, he would have snapped the maid’s neck, and to hell with the deal and with the punishment. The words she had thrown at his face were almost as burning as the magical seal binding them - so truthful and sharp, dragging out questions he had been running away from. He had done bad things, shameful things. What if Odin had known all along what will become of him?! What if what he deserves will come sooner or later?!  


What if this madness and the Midgardian as a prison warden is his punishment and payback, what if this is his _fate_?!

Loki leaned over the sink, closely watching his face in the bathroom mirror and trying to slow his breathing and calm the arousal. He could not tell whether the Midgardian alcohol had affected him in such a peculiar way, or the heated discussion combined with the maid's indecent summer apparels, but the reaction of his body was alarming and frustrating. The Midgardian was absolutely unbearable, loud and annoying and disobedient, and those were traits Loki did not find attractive - and he could not imagine a single man who would think otherwise. And yet when he closed his eyes he could not get rid of her image, with red cheeks, flashing angry eyes and lips half open.

A sudden thought flashed through his mind, and Loki clenched his hands on the sink, feeling the erection become so hard it was almost causing pain. He does not have to kill the maid at once after their deal comes to an end. First he can teach her what slavery is. There are many ways to make her pay, break and humiliate her, which can include very revealing clothes - or no clothes at all.  


\----------  


In the morning they met at the hotel lobby and raked at each other the same heavy cold gaze.

Loki's magical beacons did not signal any activity or witch’s presence, and they were heading back to the orphanage, because there was nothing else to do. Julia walked by his side in silence, gloomily thinking over their current situation. They were in the dead end and they were in a deadlock - _again_. The girl was under impression that more and more often Loki kept forgetting about their deal and the fact that he must hate her - and then he would behave like a normal person around her. Unfortunately, such moments were always followed by emotional outbursts from his or her side. Their relationship seemed to work like a spiral, throwing them back when squeezed too tightly. Apparently they were too different and incompatible even to handle a peaceful civilised discussion. What a shame.

They walked through the gates and Julia looked around with confusion. The territory of the orphanage was silent and completely empty. She gave Loki a questioning glance.

Suddenly there was movement on the porch. The massive door opened.

"Hey! Hello! Where is everyone? _Donde estan todos los niños?*_ " Julia decisively rushed towards the building, energetically waving at the man who walked out of the door.

The man looked at her and disappeared inside the house. 

And then the door slammed open, and two armed Mexicans stepped outside. Julia stopped at gunpoint, watching them in terror.

The gunmen pulled the triggers, and the girl squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of a loud bang.

She will be shot in Mexico in broad daylight. What a pity.

Julia opened her eyes and saw a thick block of ice right in front of her, with two bullets frozen inside of it. The gunmen cried out, both pinned to the wall by long ice spikes, and ceased moving.

The ice wall cracked and dissolved into little pieces. Julia saw Loki approaching the porch of the mansion, when one more man ran out of the door, pressing a briefcase to his side. He was in such a hurry that he did not notice the two dead men pinned to the walls.

"Do not move." Loki raised his right hand in a masterful gesture. The man stopped, surprised and confused.

Julia darted towards them. 

"You are the headmaster!" She recalled the face from a photo in the corridor. "What happened here?!"

The man looked around, and at the sight of the two bodies of the gunmen panic reflected on his face.

"Answer every question." Ordered Loki.

The men looked at each other, and the dark brown iris in the eyes of the Mexican turned icy blue. His hands hung limply, and the briefcase fell on the ground.

"One of the children saw the operation. He told others. I had to call _el cartel_."

Julia shook her head. From the expression on Loki's face she could tell that the Asgardian did not understand a thing as well.

"Now we must get rid of them." Continued the headmaster.  
"What?! What do you mean?! What operation?!"  
"Medical operation. This morning we took two, one of them saw everything." Spoke plainly the man. "He told others. Now they know, we must get rid of them."

An awful thought appeared at the back of Julia's head - not yet understanding, but a suspicion which made her stomach flip.  


"Why are the children in the orphanage so sick?" Julia whispered. "What did you do to them?"  
"We make operations to sell organs. We take children to hospital, _el cartel_ sells organs."

Julia felt dizzy, listening to the monotonous voice of the Mexican. 

"… one boy saw the operation and escaped from the hospital. He told the mentors and other children, they know what I do. We had to get rid of them. I called _el cartel_ for help."  
"Fuck!" Julia moaned.

It suddenly made sense. There was no witch flying around the town and sucking life out of children. Instead there was a gang of criminals selling organs, and one very greedy man who allowed them to cut kidneys and pump blood out of little orphans. This is why the hospital was so sterile and modern. This is why Loki could not discern any magical trail around the orphanage.

There was no magic.

At this moment there was a loud boom and the whole building shook. A second later Loki pushed both Julia and their prisoner down on the ground, and a million shards of glass rained upon them.

"The fuck was this?!" Julia whimpered, kicking the Mexican in the shoulder. The man raised his head from the ground and glared at Julia with thoughtless blue eyes. "Where are the children?"  
"Locked in the basement with gas tank." He spoke calmly. "We make it look like accident. They die in explosion."

Julia hastily got up from the ground, shaking. She turned to Loki.

"We need to help them!"

Loki jolted away.

"No."  
"No?!..." The girl pressed her hands to the chest, looking at Loki and back at the mansion, first spurts of flame already lighting the windows from the inside.  
"The man will tell everything about his crimes. You can call the city guards and seek justice or I can kill him myself." Loki responded with a frown. "But I am not going into the fire."  
"But… You can do magic… Why?!"  
"Because I won't go in there to burn alive!" He snapped. "There is no water to freeze inside the fire, I shall be powerless."  
"B-but you must do something…" Julia stuttered. "The contract..."

Loki looked at her pale face.

"No." He spat out. "The fire is not of magical origin, and the contract has no power here."

He watched the maid's back, her shoulders slightly shaking. Loki knew what she was going through - the feeling of complete helplessness. Just like he had felt when they had no more than an hour till midnight, and he was locked in a magic circle, helpless and stripped off all his powers.

What goes around comes around. Loki felt a cruel grin lift his lips, and he did not even try to hide it when the Midgardian turned around.

"Please!" She did not try to hold her tears anymore.  
"No."  
"There's a bunch of children that will die in a fire!" She yelled. Loki did not move a single step.

Julia groaned and lashed out at him, pushing him in the chest, blinking off tears.

"You gonna just stand here and watch them die, bastard?!" She sobbed out and punched the man again. "I fucking hate you!"

Loki made one fast move and twisted her arm, making Julia turn around. The girl hissed in pain and jerked, but the man was holding her firmly. Loki lifted her elbow a little more and with satisfaction heard a quiet whimper. He leaned closer to the maid.

"I told you yesterday that your race is not worthy of saving, and look who was right. I hate you too, you cannot imagine how deeply I hate you. And yes, I shall stand here and watch, and you shall stand and watch by my side, because you are weak, and there is nothing you can do, and I am no idiot to risk my life. And then you shall spend the rest of your days, lamenting over the Midgardians you failed to save. And you shall always remember that it was no monster who killed them, but the same human being of flesh and blood as you. And you shall always remember that the worst beasts live inside each of us. I will do my best to remind you of it every single day."

The whole world disappeared, even the hum of the fire was barely audible. The pain in her arm was almost unbearable, and Julia felt like she was about to faint. The only two things left in the whole world was the awful sharp pain and Loki's voice.

He let her go as unexpectedly as he had caught her. The girl jumped away from him, pressing her sore arm to the chest. She lowered her head in order not to see the cruel grin on the man's face and felt the tears flow down her cheeks. If their agreement cannot make Loki save these people, what can she do?!

Julia stood straight and lifted her chin, glaring at Loki with anger. A sudden change in her posture caught his attention, and the man tensed up.

"According to our agreement, you are supposed to protect me from any threat which we encounter after we set out on a hunt. No matter if there is a magical creature or not, I am here because we went after one. Which means the rules of our deal apply."

Her voice was pitched high with rage and tears. Loki gave her a concerned look, and suddenly his eyes opened wide with understanding. 

"Don't do it!" He growled in a warning tone and took a small step towards Julia.

The girl jumped back, towards the mansion.

"Which means that if I die in this fire, you are fucked."  
"Don't!" Loki roared and rushed forward, evidently planning to catch her before she goes in.

Julia grinned at him insanely, baring her teeth, and darted inside the burning building. 

The low hum of the fire muffled Loki's angry voice coming from the outside. Julia quickly ran down the stairs, into the basement.

It looked like hell inside, flames licking the walls, ceiling and the wooden shelves with some carton boxes on them. Julia discerned a heavy wooden door at the opposite side of the basement, and decisively rushed forward, covering her face and turning away from the sparks falling off the ceiling.

The girl tried to pull the door open and jumped back, waving her burned palms in the air. Julia groaned and tried again, hearing the cries from the inside.

"Shit!" Julia yelped and jolted to a side, covering her head. 

A heavy piece of burning joist fell down and brushed her shoulder. Julia tumbled over and yelped in pain, feeling the tears dry out in the hot air. Thick black smoke was filling the cellar.

Julia gasped and went into a coughing fit, curling up on the floor.

Through a veil of tears and dark smoke she saw a pair of boots walk past her, and heard a heavy door open with a loud screech. The people ran out of the cellar in an unnaturally organised manner, which could only mean that Loki hypnotised them. 

Julia absently recalled that the deadly carbon monoxide gathers low above the ground, which would mean that she is screwed if she doesn't get up - and she did not even try to. The girl slowly blinked and coughed again, seeing and hearing things through a very thick pillow.

She felt someone lift her by the collar of the shirt, like a puppy, and then throw her up onto the shoulder. Julia felt hot and dizzy and strangely sleepy, as the world around her moved a little from side to side. The crackle and hum of the fire was lulling her to sleep.

She fell flat on the ground so heavily it felt like all her insides have exploded, and there was no air left in her lungs. Julia coughed so violently she almost vomited, her whole body shaking and eyes burning from the smoke.

A pair of leather boots stopped beside her face. She heard Loki's knees click as he crouched by her side.

"Oh, fuck…" Julia wheezed out between coughing fits.  
"Did it hurt?" Loki asked her in a falsely caring voice.  
"Yes…" Julia gasped, unsure if any of her ribs aren't broken. "Like hell…"  
"Good." Loki barked out shortly and grabbed her arm, pulling the girl up.

Her head spinned, and Julia tried to hold onto his tunic, but Loki stepped away. She tried her best not to collapse on her knees at once.

Julia breathed in deeply, wiping off the tears, and discerned a group of about thirty people in the distance: the children and the nurses, all sitting on the ground in silence. The orphanage headmaster was there as well, defocused eyes peering into the distance. Indeed, Loki was good at organising a scared mob.

The girl looked at the Asgardian. His clothes were covered in soot and there were fresh burns on his hands. Julia wondered for a moment whether those were from the fire, or caused by the spell.

From the look on his face she could not tell if he is angry, or confused, or surprised, or sorry - an unreadable mixture reflected in his eyes.

"You fooled the spell to make me go inside, but it will know what you did. You will burn for this..." Loki spoke slowly. "You sacrificed yourself for the people you don't even know, why?"

Julia's mouth twitched and she slightly wobbled, but clenched her hands together and met his gaze with fury and arrogance.  


"Fuck the spell!" She hissed. "And fuck you."

The stronger the breach the more painful the punishment - Loki learned it the hard way. He counted to three in his mind.

The girl collapsed on her knees, howling in pain and curling up, her whole body shaking and hands clenched on the faded yellow grass.

Loki watched her suffer and he suddenly realized that it did not bring him the satisfaction he counted on. He first experienced the punishment because he had lashed out at her in anger; then in Japan where the maid was attacked by a giant snake, and today, when she ran into the fire. He would never go through this burning pain willingly, let alone for someone he did not know. It turned out that the Midgardian did not share his approach - her asymmetrical response had just proven it.

It also turned out that a lovely face, indecently short apparels and an awful character were supplied together with strong will and determination any Asgardian warrior would envy.

Julia gathered herself up from the ground with effort. When she had seen Loki experience this before she could not even imagine how bad it was. Her whole body was burning, and black spots were flashing before her eyes. The girl drew a shaky breath and tried to stand straight, but the world around her made a spin.

She would have fallen if it wasn't for a firm hand holding her up. Julia was too exhausted to be scared of Loki so close to her, so she just leaned onto him, trusting his grip more than her shaky knees.

Loki opened a portal without a word when the sirens were audible in the distance. Julia expected a triumphant evil laugh, maybe a mordant monologue about futility of self-sacrifice, but Loki remained silent for the rest of their way back. Without a word he held Julia by forearm when she clumsily bailed out of the blue swirl. Their walk from the waist-ground towards her door was silent as well.

"I misjudged you," Loki finally uttered as she fumbled with the keys. "You are not weak. You are just incredibly stupid."

Julia could not think of a fitting response to this and just watched Loki walk away from her door.

If she had any understanding of Loki’s emotional states, she would say that today her Pokemon learned a new and very important skill: _respect._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * - Where are all the children? (Spanish)


	14. Troll Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brace yourselves, for the night in the troll forest is dark and full of terrors.  
> A scary NSFW chapter where everyone is going crazy. Enjoy!

_Don't let the troll into your bed_  
_he'll take your soul then eat your head._

_Jarboe, Troll Lullaby_

\----------

It has been thirty days without an accident - enough to hang a sign in her living room, just like they do in chemical plants and big factories. Their six months anniversary was approaching, and Julia wondered if a chocolate cake with a big “Thanks for not killing me yet!” on top of it would be appropriate.

Their meetings would be held out of schedule more and more often. One Saturday afternoon Julia heard a knock.

"Books." Loki declared, holding a tall pile in his hands. Julia discerned both bright covers of school textbooks from the Other Midgard and thick tomes covered in leather, most likely from the library of Asgard.

He walked inside and placed the pile on the coffee table.

"These are both Midgardian tutorials on history you requested and some books from my library - all I could find in the languages spoken in your Realm. I hope you will be satisfied with the contents."

Having said so, the Asgardian headed towards the hall. Julia narrowed her eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Loki turned to her with surprise.

"I am heading back to Asgard."  
"Does not seem like fair division of labour to me!" The girl huffed. "Do you think that I will be doing this all alone?"

From the concerned look on his face Julia could say that he surely did. The girl took six history books of different size and shape off the shelve - the best and most detailed ones she could find, both in English and in Polish - and placed them in a second pile on the table. She sat down and gave Loki an expectant look. The man signed and approached the armchair - they had much to work on.

And just like this, without prior agreement Saturdays were added to the revised schedule of their meetings, as well as Thursdays. Loki and Julia would mostly spend time in silence, carefully studying the historical events which took place in her Midgard, and comparing them to the chronicle of the other Realm. There were so many smaller and bigger differences that soon Julia ran out of post-its which they used as indicators. Though completely unimportant for the bigger picture, the patchwork of the Central European map interested Julia the most. It was fascinating to read of the ways her world could have gone, but did not.

"It’s enough for today." Julia took the last orange post-it and slammed the book closed. "Next time we summarize what we already know, but right now it is time to prepare for a camping trip."  
"Where to?" Loki closed his book and stretched his legs, placing heels of his boots on the tabletop. 

Julia kicked the table with irritation several times.

"Hey! It is clean!"

Probably a month ago there would have been an outbreak of violence with “I-am-the-King-of-Asgard” argumentation. Now Loki huffed with annoyance but placed his feet on the floor.

"Norway." Julia declared. "Campers go missing in a forest to the east of Voss."

Loki glanced at the first printout she had placed on the table.

"Troll." He said with certainty.  
"A troll? How do you know?" Julia asked.  
"What else can it be?!" He shrugged. "No other dangerous creature lives there. From what I recall, a thousand years ago that Northern land used to host peaceful fairy folk, they were harmless and mostly feared men. Once in our younger years we descended to Midgard to hunt trolls with my broth… with my step-brother."  
"How was it?" Julia asked, leaning forward.  
"At first it was fun," Loki replied with a smirk. "Then it was painful - we descended to Midgard as two younglings, without Odin's permission and knowledge. Thor was stupid enough to bring the troll’s head to the Allfather for demonstration right in the middle of a mid-summer feast." 

Sparks of amusement lighted up his green eyes as Loki spoke, and he laughed quietly, submerged in memories. 

Julia rested her chin on her palm, contemplating Loki. She tried to picture him as a teenager who ran off with his brother for an adventure of a lifetime and got busted by a strict father. The fact that he has witnessed Medieval Norway and had walked this soil a thousand years ago was fascinating; yet the fact that Loki used to be a child just like everyone else seemed absolutely surreal. 

Loki glanced at the Midgardian sitting opposite to him and tried to sort out the recent changes, unsure whether to be alarmed or to accept the new status quo. It was getting more and more easy for him to communicate with her - not tease or humiliate the maid, but simply talk. He had not done talking for some time, first locked up alone in a cell in the palace dungeons, then disguised as Odin - and being masked as Allfather does not allow for a relaxed discussion. At some point Loki started to avoid looking at the mirror in his chambers - it felt like the face he saw there belonged to someone else.

He would have never thought that revealing himself in the light of the upcoming Ragnarok would make him feel so good.

He would have never thought that speaking to another person as Loki, not as Odin would make him feel so vulnerable. 

But he was getting used to it again.

\----------

Julia looked around: the place was very picturesque. The small hovel was located on a meadow not far away from a lake with crystal clear waters. About fifty meters away there was a wall of tall pines and a straight smooth asphalt road leading through the forest and back to civilization. The steep mountains towered over the forest at a distance. Julia spinned around, tilting her head back to look into the clear blue sky.

"This place is so nice! Too nice for a troll... Isn't a troll supposed to live in the mud under the bridge?"  
"What is left to do if there is no bridge nearby?" Loki sneered at the girl and sharply pulled a heavy lock hanging from the door, ripping both the lock and the hinge off. Loki pressed the knob, and the door of the inn opened. "The troll’s lair is supposed to be cool and dark, they normally would dig a hole in the mud and sit there, hiding from the sunlight. I must admit I do not know why they have a sentiment for bridges, but I can ask this troll just for you before I rip its heart out."

Julia smiled, throwing her belongings on the table. You get used to the good things fast, and Loki making jokes was a good thing. Since their return from Mexico it actually felt like he was treating her as equal.

"Did you get what I require?" Loki crouched by the fireplace, kindling the flame.  
"Yes, the holy water is in here." The girl placed a big plastic bottle on the table. "I read a legend which says that every troll guards enormous treasures. Do you think this one will have treasures as well? When are we going after him?"  
"Soon, do not be impatient. And _we_ are not going anywhere, I am going alone." Loki replied.

Julia frowned.

"Hey, it is against the rules of our deal; besides, I want my share of troll’s treasure! Why can't I go?"  
"I suppose you have been baptised when you were child. Is this so?" Loki asked her.  
"Well, yes, it is correct."  
"This is why you stay here. Trolls are burnt by holy water, it is deadly to them, but they also get easily enraged if they smell Christian blood. It will be less troublesome and faster if I go alone and set the trap for the troll. The creature is harmed by the sunlight, so its skin turns stone-like in the day, and a troll remains deep under the ground until darkness falls. I will make the preparations and wait till it gets darker and the creature comes out."

Julia watched Loki take a dozen of small round vessels out of the bag. He pulled the chair closer and rested his elbows on the table, pouring the holy water from the bottle into the vessels. 

"Keep the fire burning, do not leave the hovel, do not open the door. Wait until I return. Got it?" He looked up at Julia.  
"Yes, sir! "She sneered at him. "May the force be with you."

And suchwise, Loki departed. Julia kicked off her ballet flats and stretched her back feeling the vertebrae pop back into place. She checked the shelves in the kitchen and found some herbal mint tea and mustard. The girl sighed and rummaged further for a kettle and a cup.

It was about four P.M. when Loki walked out of the door with a bag on his shoulder and disappeared among the tall pines. Now the sun was almost gone, and Julia watched black shadows of the trees grow longer under the last pink beams. Mist was starting to creep from the woods, flooding the meadow. 

By midnight Julia almost finished the only book in English she had found on the shelve. She threw one more log into the fire and turned off the ceiling lamp. Then she hit the switch again, and then she boiled the cattle, and paced the inn back and forth. Anxiety was growing within her. It was about time for Loki to return. 

"He will be fine." Julia said out loud to her own reflection in the dark window. 

She definitely felt more secure when they were doing Supernatural stuff together. From what she knew a troll was a very big creature, while Loki was a rather small ice giant. She had seen him tear a metal lock off the door and throw sharp spears of ice at enemies, but she couldn't help but feel worried. What if he is badly hurt or dead?

"Oh, come on!" Julia groaned with irritation and sat Indian style in front of the fireplace.

The girl almost fell asleep, staring at the dancing flames, and at first she did not understand where the sound was coming from - a quiet song, an enchanting tune which felt strangely familiar even though Julia was sure she had never heard it before. The melodic whisper sounded at the border between a dream and reality, and Julia slowly stood up, looking around. The inn was empty just as it had to be. 

The melody was gone; it surely had been a figment of her wild imagination. Julia glanced at the watch and nervously bit her knuckle. She really hoped Loki would be fine.

At this moment she heard a voice from outside - low and muffled by the walls of the hovel so she could not make out the words. The girl darted to the window and with a relieved smile discerned a tall figure walking from under the trees, thick white mist reaching its chest.

Julia patiently counted to thirty, giving Loki some time to reach the door. She was nervously shifting on her feet, watching the doorknob and waiting for it to turn - but it wouldn’t. The girl bit her lip.

"Loki?"

She decisively pushed the door open, and a gust of cool night air flew into the room. Julia peered into the mirk, at the clearing separating the inn from the tall trees. Loki was nowhere around. The girl shivered and hugged herself. The June night in Norway was too cold for comfort.

She reached for the knob to close the door, when another strong blow of wind flew through the hovel, ruffled up the pages of the book on the table, moved the curtains, and blew off the flame in the fireplace.

The inn sank into darkness.  


\----------

The whole forest was streaked with magical trails - fresh ones and older ones, the paths overlapped one another, tangling into a bizarre ravel. After darkness had wrapped the forest with its veil he waited by the troll’s lair till the stars filled the sky. Loki had enough time to make all preparations: he raised a barrier which would stop the troll from escape, he carved out runes by each side of a deep cave where the troll was allegedly hiding, and he had pins and needles in every limb from being sprawled on the ground for several hours.

After some time it became clear that the troll was not coming out. Maybe it had found a new hideout. Maybe there is an old bridge nearby, he should ask the maid to check as soon as he comes back. It took him at least an hour of fast march to return to the inn by the lake. 

Loki felt a slight prick of anxiety when he noticed no amber light in the windows. The man fought an urge to run towards the hovel at full speed, but instead he walked just a little faster.

When he walked around the building he saw a door wide open. 

"Fuck!" Loki leaped over the stairs of the porch and entered the hovel, nervously looking around the empty premise. "Julia?"

All her belongings were left intact; there was an open book on the table, he noticed the maid's shoes in the corner and her jacket on the couch. The soot in the fireplace was still warm, she must have left no more than an hour ago.

_Why the fuck would she abandon the place if he had clearly told her to stay inside?!_

Loki stepped out on the porch, looking around the meadow. The magical trail was fresh here. It went around the house, it covered the clearing with a complex weave, and it was leading straight into the woods.

Loki nervously delved into his pockets and with surprise heard a rustle of paper. He took out one of the printouts they had looked through back at the maid's dwelling - a piece of news about a troll. It was the one and only note in Norwegian, the rest carefully translated by the girl beforehand. Loki had taken it because he wanted to check whether this language is similar to that spoken in Asgard. 

It turned out that it was. Loki stared at the printout, trying to calm his mind. The spelling was strange but he could guess the meaning of almost every word. And then he suddenly cursed out loud.

All the tourists who had gone missing were women. Most probably, this information was either lost in translation, or omitted as unimportant.

Bloody fool. He should have read this when they were getting ready. He shouldn't have taken the maid to Norway. 

"Julia!" Loki yelled into the darkness, feeling his heart pound loudly like a bell.

It was very, very bad.

\----------

The burning and pricking in his wrist started right after he stepped under the pine canopy - a reminder of what awaits him in case the maid gets hurt. The pain was not strong yet - and with surprise Loki realized that it was not only the omen of punishment that was making him hurry. 

He did not want the Midgardian dead _like this._

The trail was leading straight into the depth of the forest. Loki was moving forward fast, leaping over snags, wading through thicket. After half an hour of insane race he noticed some object shining in the grass, reflecting the moonlight. Loki picked up the maid's phone. He swore aloud and put it in the pocket, moving forward twice as fast. At least he was going the right way.

The forest was getting thicker, the thorny bushes almost impenetrable. Loki could not recall when he had run so fast the last time, his lungs burning and the heart about to break through the ribcage. He slowed down when he heard a quiet hum at a distance - neither a song nor a whisper, or maybe both, monotonous and hypnotizing. He tried to move through the underwood as quiet as possible, approaching the source of the strange sounds.

He finally saw the Midgardian at a dell by the side of a big lake. The maid was completely naked, and her movements were gracious and slow, like a mesmerizing dance. Strange gnarled creatures surrounded her, Loki could not tell if this was the troll’s offspring or some other inhabitants of the magical forest. The creatures moved around the maid, braiding her messy hair and placing white water flowers in it. Loki could hear her voice all the time - the Midgardian was talking quietly to the beasts around her.

Her bare skin was almost shining under the moonlight, making the maid look like a slim candle in the darkness. Loki would have never thought that she could look so beautiful. Julia tilted her head back and laughed carelessly and insanely, her eyes firmly shut as if she was sleepwalking. The creatures took her hands and pulled the girl towards the lake, its waters still and black as coal.

The surface of the dark lake rippled though there was no wind. Julia moved very slowly, placing unsteady steps on the grass, but with each step she was closer to the water. And something was telling Loki that he cannot let her reach it, or something very bad will happen. 

He clenched his teeth and darted forward towards the girl. The forest creatures noticed him and shrieked in anger, gathering on his way.

"Julia, stop!" Loki cried out. 

He thrust out an open hand, and the beasts pulling her forward fell on the grass, pinned by frozen arrows to the ground. The maid slowly turned her head and frowned. The water of the lake bubbled. Something big was rising from the depth.

Suddenly Loki cringed, pierced by the burning pain of the spell. It was the worst time for a reminder - as if he did not see for himself that the maid was in great danger. 

Two bigger creatures took advantage of his affliction and jumped at him from the back, pinning the man on the ground. Loki groaned, catching a paw with sharp long claws and pushing it away from his face. With the corner of his eye he saw the maid make one more tiny step towards the water.

"Julia, no!"

He shook off the creatures holding him and leaped forward. It felt like the flow of time had become slower. Loki watched more forest beasts emerge from under the hillocks and underwood, baring their long teeth at him. He did not slow down, and the rime and ice were covering the grass as he moved forward, trapping the creatures and immobilizing them. The maid knelt and reached forward, stretching her hands towards an enormous bulky figure of a monster emerging out of the water.

This troll did not live under the bridge.

The creature had a small shapeless head with an enormous voracious maw. Its skin was stone-grey and wet, covered in water plants and moss. 

Loki grabbed the Midgardian by the elbow and pulled her sharply. He tossed her back with such force that the maid flew several steps over the grass and rolled on the ground. The troll looked down at Loki and roared, lifting its heavy paw high in the air.

The creature smashed the ground right where Loki had been a moment ago, splattering small drops of water around. The man looked back at the unconscious maid on the ground, gripped the troll’s claw and jumped forward, pulling himself up. The troll snorted and focused its small eyes on Loki. The creature violently shook the paw in the air, trying to get rid of the man, but Loki stabbed a knife deep into its skin, and then pulled up, jumping up the creature’s neck and wrapping his legs around it to hold on. The troll jerked, trying to shake him off. Loki delved into his pocket for a vessel with holy water he had prepared back at the inn. As the troll opened its maw once again to let out a shriek of rage, Loki grabbed the creature’s ear, jumped over its head and tossed several glass vessels straight into the creature’s mouth.

Loki went underwater for a moment, but quickly broke through the surface, hastily moving away from the troll. The creature involuntarily pressed its jaws together. Loki heard the glass break under its teeth, and at this moment the troll let out a roar of pain. The creature was tossing and wriggling in agony, dark green blood flowing out of its maw, as the holy water was burning through the flesh.

By miracle Loki made it out of the bubbling water unharmed, though the troll was very close to stepping on him or smashing him with a paw. The man jumped out on the bank and darted towards the unconscious maid.

He shook the Midgardian by the shoulders but her head bounced limply. Loki looked back at the agonizing monster, at the dead forest creatures around them, and picked the maid up bridal style. There was no point in lingering and waiting for her to wake up.

Loki wondered whether the monster was luring women to its lair to feed, or to turn them into trolls. What he had witnessed looked like a human sacrifice to him. Alas, now with the beast burnt to death, he could never know. Loki made only a couple dozens steps away from the lake when the girl in his hands moved. She jerked and rose her head abruptly. Loki stopped. A frown crossed Julia's forehead, her eyes still half closed and nostrils flaring as she was turning her head around.

"No!" She suddenly yelled and pressed her hands against Loki’s shoulders, trying to push him away. "Come back!"  
"What?!"

The girl tried to wriggle out of his grip so violently that he almost let her go.

"I must come back! Let go!"  
"Stop this!" Loki shouted and marched forward.

The Midgardian was clearly under some kind of a spell, hypnotized by the trolls. Carrying her was not an easy job, the maid was fighting him as if her very life depended on the return to the lake.

"Be still!" Loki shook her, thinking if mind control would be considered a breach of their deal in this situation.

The maid let out a low, animal-like growl and her nails dug into his right cheek, missing the eye by only a little.

"Let me go back!" She hissed and raised her hand for one more hit.  
"Fuck!" Loki threw her on the ground with force, hoping that it would hurt and that she would wake up from the trance.

The girl landed on her back and whimpered in pain. Loki quickly took off the wet coat and wrapped it around her, firmly pressing her hands to the body in order to restrain the movements. She did not stop fighting. It felt like carrying a wild cat in a bundle: the spell seemed to have doubled the maid's strength, and Loki had a trouble holding her even restrained by a thick leather coat.

He had a trouble calming his mind as well. The strange bitter smell of the forest and the adrenaline was making his head spin, and marching forward, Loki could not help but see the maid in the moonlight all over again, surrounded by forest beasts, her bare skin shining in the darkness. He clenched his teeth together and tried not to think of the way her back was arching when she begged him to let her return to the magical troll lake, the way her naked body was pressed to his chest when she was trying to twist out of his grip. Her skin was warm and soft under his fingers. 

Loki swore under his breath, feeling both furious and aroused. The bundle with the maid was silent and still in his hands now. He probably was half way back to the hovel already.

"Loki?" The girl suddenly whimpered from under the coat.  
"What?" He snapped. 

At least she was not howling like a wild animal anymore. Finally, the spell must have worn off. Loki slowed down and felt an elbow pushing his abdomen, as the Midgardian tried to free herself from the coat.

"Please put me down!" He heard a quiet begging voice.

Indeed it seemed that she had regained her conscious. Loki knelt and lowered the maid on the grass. 

"Will you behave like a crazy lunatic?" He asked in a menacing tone, closely watching the woman. 

The Midgardian struggled with the coat, but finally managed to unfold it and sat up, long hair covering her face. She shook her head, lack of clothing not bothering her at all.

"No, I promise," the girl whimpered. "I will be good."

She suddenly leaned forward, closer to him. Loki jerked back.

"But I need to come back, will you let me?" The girl purred softly. "They are waiting for me, calling me! Please, don't take me away!"

The maid licked her lips, and he could not look away. Her teeth were shining in the darkness like pearls. She looked insane but so wild and hypnotizing that Loki felt he was going crazy himself. His heart was beating low in the abdomen, he felt his erection pulsating.

"Can't you hear how they are calling me? Listen to it! I will do anything, just let me go back!" The girl moaned lowly and arched her back, pressing her bare breast and stomach against his body. Loki growled when he felt her hand slide along his inner thigh and towards the crotch.

 _I will do anything._ As crazy as it was, right now Loki wanted nothing more than to push the maid down on the wet cold grass and take her, the desire as insane as the night itself and the forest whispering the enchanting quiet melody. Now he could hear it, too. The sweet smell of rotting leaves and fresh grass filled his nostrils, and the forest around became blurry.

Loki felt the maid's warm breath on his neck and closed his eyes, leaning forward, giving in to the magical madness. He did not care what happens when the Midgardian regains her consciousness. He did not care that she had freckles on her nose, that she was loud and unnerving, that she was an inferior primitive creature. The urge to make this woman his was so intense and electrifying that he had no other thoughts left.

Loki jerked in pain and pushed the maiden away when she bit him on the neck. The girl hissed and snapped her teeth again, almost catching his finger. She thrust out her hands aiming the nails at his eyes. Loki cursed and caught her by the wrists, pinning the girl to the ground. 

"Stop this!" He cried out in a hoarse voice and violently shook the maid.

The girl's head dangled to a side, and all of a sudden she ceased fighting. Loki froze on top of her, holding her hands and waiting. The Midgardian did not move.

The man drew a shaky breath and moved away, feeling both aroused and ashamed of his weakness. He sat by a tree, pressed his back to the trunk and closed his eyes. He was a pathetic fool. Just moments ago he had almost given in to a disgusting, primitive desire to fuck an obviously insane maid, shamelessly offering her body to him.

Loki suddenly realized that he did not have to walk through the forest, struggling with the Midgardian on the way. He could have opened a portal from the lake side and straight to wherever he wanted to go. The frantic events of the evening and the arousal had filled his head with thick haze, making it difficult to think clearly - or to think at all. 

Bloody moron, he could have avoided it all if only he had gone after the troll alone, leaving the maid in her house in Warsaw. The events of this night seemed to be pretty much his fault.

Loki tensed up at a sound of a low moan. The maid moved and whispered something under her breath, pressing a hand to her forehead. He waited, watching her closely.

Julia felt a sharp pain at the back of her head, as if she had hit the solid ground. That was strange, she did not recall falling. The girl moaned, rubbing her forehead, and realized that she actually did not recall a single thing after the moment when she had pushed the door open. That was twice as strange.

She opened her eyes and blinked in surprize at the sight of tall trees around. 

"What the...?" Julia looked around in panic and sighed with relief when she noticed the man sitting by the tree. "Loki?"

The girl saw Loki purse his lips as he glanced at her. Julia shivered against the chilly air, looked down and realized she was completely naked, sitting on his coat. Her stomach made a flip and Julia felt her teeth chatter. With panic she eyed long scratches on Loki's right cheek.

"Why am I naked?" Her voice was pitched high and trembling with panic as the girl pulled the coat on her shoulders. She tried to move away from the man. "In a forest?... What the fuck did you do to me?!"

What he _almost_ did. Loki felt a heat wave of rage and revulsion rise within him; he narrowed his eyes and gave the Midgardian a scornful look.

"Are you implying that I could fuck you? Don't flatter yourself!" He spat out angrily. "Now that you are finally awake, I expect _you_ to explain why you are naked in the middle of the forest, when I clearly told you to wait for me inside."

Julia gasped and shook her head. From a spin of blurred images filling her head the girl could not tell much.

"I… First i waited for you, but you wouldn't return for quite a long." She said slowly. "I thought I saw you coming back..."

The girl pressed fingers to her temples. She remembered being worried and nervous, then there was Loki coming from under the trees…

"Continue. What happened next?" The man asked, his tone too polite. Julia swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut.  
"I opened the door." She whispered almost soundlessly.

Loki drew a loud breath. 

"And what did I tell you to do?" He growled lowly and Julia huddled up.  
"Stay inside and wait…"  
"Then why the fuck did you not?!" Loki lashed out, sharply jumping on his feet. "You disobedient idiot! I come back to an empty hovel, I run around the fucking forest searching for you, only to find you in company of the trolls!"

Julia hugged her knees, shivering under a cold wet coat. _Whisper of trees around her, starry sky spinning between the branches above her head. A strange feeling of intoxication and joy, crooked creatures accompanying her into the woods. A huge dark figure rising from the black waters._  


"…so willing to stay with them you almost scratched my eyes out! I thought one cannot be any more useless and stupid than you normally are, but today you outdid yourself!" 

The girl looked up at the man.

"I'm so sorry!" She whispered, her voice shaky. "I… I didn't mean to go away."

Loki sighed and pursed his lips, thinking over their possible further steps. The maid did not have any open wounds or cuts, but he had no idea how troll magic works and what the consequences might be. He could not just deliver the maid to her dwelling like this. 

"Get up!" He ordered. "We need to reach a dell or a meadow, any opening big enough with no trees."

Julia was too shocked to ask him why, so she just nodded and got up from the ground, pulling his coat on and fastening it on her chest. 

"What about the trolls?" He heard the maid's hesitant voice behind him.  
"There are no more trolls here."  


\----------  


Loki pushed away a thick leafy branch. He trod very fast and he knew that the girl would stay behind. The walk was definitely helping him cool down; besides, a march through a dark and scary forest seemed like a suitable punishment for the maid’s disobedience. Loki could hear quiet swearing and whimpers as she stepped on a sharp rock or a branch with her bare feet.

"Will you wait, please?" At last Julia cried out behind his back.  
"Why would I?" Loki turned to face the maid. The sleeves of his coat were so long she had to roll them up.  
"Because I cannot run the whole way. I understand that you are angry with me - and you have every reason to be - but I said sorry already, and I am tired and my feet hurt." She brushed the hair away from her face with an annoyed move.  
"And, your point being?..." Loki raised a brow.  
"Punishing me with this quick march is pointless and childish." Julia gave him an irritated look. "I am sorry for the inconvenience caused, I am sorry the spell hurt you, I have made notice of my mistakes and I promise it won't happen again. Enough of this."

Loki clenched his jaw. All of a sudden Julia did not feel so brave anymore. She swallowed as he moved closer to her.

"You listen to me well. You are a stupid, careless, negligent creature. It is not the first time your thoughtless actions cause me trouble, and I do not fancy to get burnt every time you fail to think before you act. Now, you will shut your mouth and keep walking, and if you dare to argue back you will walk naked. Tell me, what will be more humiliating, to stride down the streets in your neighborhood or the main street of Asgard? I can arrange both for you." Julia blushed in anger and opened her mouth, but froze when Loki’s index finger lifted her chin. "Not a single word. I have had enough of you. And do not make me wait."

And just to think that she had been worried about him… Right now Julia would have danced happily at the sight of Loki being devoured by a troll.

The girl's eyes were big as she blinked at him with confusion and chagrin. Loki was way more angry with himself than with the maid, but she was partly responsible for the way the events went; and making her feel miserable seemed to help. Loki thought that she would cry now - he almost _hoped_ that she would, but Julia gave him a stubborn look and pursed her lips.

They proceeded in complete silence. Loki could have transformed the coat into a dress for the Midgardian, but he did not see a necessity. From time to time he would hear her swear under her breath behind his back, but never loud enough for him to make out the words. Soon there was a clearing in the woods which seemed big enough. Loki stepped in the centre and impatiently tossed his head, urging the maid to stand closer.

Julia approached him with caution. She was not sure what made her feel more vulnerable - the lack of clothing, his humiliating scolding and a threat to take the coat away, or the fact that she remembered nothing of the night - but she would prefer to stay as far away from raging Loki as possible. 

The Asgardian thrust his right hand up high, and a wide shining circle surrounded him, burning the low grass. Julia squeaked and moved closer to the man, watching strange symbols appear on the melting soil. A stream of light and air hit the girl and she felt like the force of gravity was not affecting her anymore, her body completely weightless.

The flight could have taken a couple of seconds or several hours - Julia could not tell for sure. The stream of light carried them to an empty big round hall. When the shining circles on the floor were gone, Julia blinked the blind spots away and turned around, studying in shock the unreachably tall ceiling lit up by strange golden globes floating high above. The walls were carved with beautiful bas-reliefs depicting battles. There were four entrances to the hall, each guarded by two golden statues of warriors, carved so precisely that they almost looked alive. Julia gasped:

"I am in Asgard!"

Loki raised a brow.

"I admire your perceptiveness. Indeed you are, this is one of the smaller halls in the upper part of the palace. No one but me has access to this chamber. I use it to descend to your Realm."

If this was supposed to be a small hall, Julia wondered whether a big one could fit a municipal stadium. She watched Loki approach one of the entrances and raise his right hand. The doorframe shone with blue, and runic carvings appeared on the door leafs.

"Follow me." Loki ordered shortly and as he strode forward, the doors opened by themselves, letting the man out.

Julia was staying behind again; not due to weariness or Loki's fast pace, but because she stopped every now and then to look down at the sleeping city from the window, or to peek into an open door. As they passed through an open gallery she saw the panorama below: in the darkness of the night the golden domes and white towers over a sleeping city looked like a blurry Fata Morgana, lit from below by the soft glimmer from the windows of houses. The Asgardian pushed one of the doors and moved aside, letting her pass. When Julia went inside the room, Loki left, quietly shutting the door behind his back.

The room was so spacious Julia wondered if her whole house wouldn’t fit in. The chamber was half-round, with a wide ogival window and tall ceiling lit by the same floating spheres of golden light as the hall where they had been before. The wide bed was draped with a canopy inwrought with gold; there were two ebony armchairs by the window and a low table. The flames were crackling in a huge fireplace in the corner. On the opposite wall there was another closed double-leaf wooden door. Every piece of furniture and object in the room was neatly decorated - either with carvings, or with embroidery.

Julia jerked when the door opened. Loki walked into the room and put several colorful folded dresses on the bed. 

"You can wear one. I am not sure if the length will be good; mother was taller than you, but I do not usually keep spare dresses in my chambers."

Julia shivered a little and looked down on her bare dirty feet. 

"Don't you have servants in the palace?" She asked when the silence started to last too long.  
"Indeed I do. But if I had a servant bring the clothing to your room, tomorrow morning the whole city would be gossiping about an undressed Midgardian I am hosting in the guest chambers. And I would prefer to steer clear of such rumours."

Seemed fair. Julia nodded. 

"There is drinking water in the room, but if you are hungry I will..."  
"Thanks, I'm good." Julia squeaked, energetically shaking her head.  
"You have all you need, then. The bathroom is over there," Loki tossed his head towards a tall double-leaf door. He quickly looked around the room to make sure everything is in place, and headed towards the exit. "In the morning the healer will come and examine you."  
"Why?" Julia asked his back. "I feel fine."

Loki huffed, pushing the door knob.

"It is for the healer to decide. This is why you are here - I will not risk sending you to Midgard until I know what the consequences of the spell might be. I do not know much of troll magic, who knows if you won't turn into one yourself?!"

Seemed fair as well. Julia nodded with a long face. Loki looked over his shoulder and smirked:

"Not that turning into a troll would make you look any different..."

This was just too much. Julia was scared and angry and tired, she has just been scolded like a little child, she has just taken a humiliating walk through the forest and the royal palace almost completely naked. She groaned and wrapped the coat around herself tighter, gripping the material so strongly her knuckles turned white. _Fucking bastard._

"You know what?!" Julia yelled at the verge of crying, "You go fuck yourself, you bloody..."

She never finished the sentence. Loki reached the girl in one long leap, no more than twenty centimeters separating them. Julia took a small step back, unable to look away from his eyes, transfixed like a rabbit before a snake. Loki looked dangerously insane - and insanely dangerous, his nostrils flaring with anger and the iris in his eyes turning from green to red. He made one more step forward and Julia let out a quiet whine as Loki's fingers firmly grabbed her chin, forcing the girl to lift her head.

"For someone this weak and helpless you are too insolent." He hissed. "And I will tolerate this no more. You shall never speak to me again like this."

His fingers on her chin were cold as ice. 

"Loki, please…" Julia whispered almost soundlessly, not sure what she was begging him for.

Seconds seemed like hours, and the girl did not dare to breathe nor move. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the pounding heart almost jump out of her ribcage.

She had the courage to open her eyes only at the sound of the door slamming behind Loki's back. Julia sniffled and lowered herself on the huge bed, not trusting her shaky knees. Whatever Loki was about to do, the girl felt that by miracle she has just avoided something very bad and dark.

Julia grabbed a heavy statuette off the nightstand and tiptoed towards the door to lock it up. Then she darted to the pile of dresses Loki had brought her and took the first one without even looking at it, heading to the bathroom with a statuette still gripped in her hand. Julia stripped off the coat and hastily pulled on a dress, leaving the shower for later. She could not tell what she feared more - darkness or Loki's wrath, but she spent the night with lights on, curled up on a huge bed under a canopy showing the movement of stars on obsidian black velvet. The girl had no idea how to turn the ceiling lamps off, and even if she knew - she would have been too scared of the things hiding in the shadows.

She was in Asgard, a legendary kingdom of Gods and heroes, whose glory was sung in legends and tales, but right now she wished she had been anywhere but here.


	15. The Unnamed Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki’s inner demons are waking up.  
> Some wet dreams with very dubious consent (warning - borderline rape!!!) and lots of emotions. Be warned.

_Just let me plug you into my world_  
_Can't you help me be uncrazy?_

 _Metallica, The Unnamed Feeling_  
\----------  
In the morning light everything that she had imagined and feared in the darkness of the night, was gone. Julia inspected the bathroom which was of almost the same size as the bedroom, white and shining, with a big round bath submerged in the floor in the middle. The girl discovered the shower by absolute accident - she walked under a see-through dome hanging from the ceiling and in an instant was poured with water. The shower was not separated from the rest of the amenities in any way, but the water was soaking into the solid tile as soon as it reached the floor. Further experimental study revealed to Julia that water temperature was regulated by raising a hand up and moving the palm left and right in the air.

Julia has finally calmed down enough to contemplate the beautiful scenery behind the window, to notice that even the grey stones of the fireplace were decorated with a neatly carved floral pattern. She unfolded all dresses Loki had so generously bestowed upon her, and placed them on the bed.

Each piece of clothing was of very fine material - either delicate wool, or linen, or soft silk. The colors were rich and bright, and dresses were either embroidered with beautiful floral patterns, or decorated with golden buckles and plates of metal similar in color to Loki's armour. Julia looked at herself in a tall mirror and smoothed out the long skirt. The one she took to wear the previous night was of deep raspberry color with a round neckline showing the shoulders, and long sleeves. The embroidery on the chest was so rich the material was solid as a corset. The skirt was a little too long just as Loki had presumed, but Julia loved her reflection anyway.

Someone knocked at the door. Julia hesitated for a moment before letting the visitor in. It was a group of women - three younger ones and one that looked like she was in her fifties. They eyed Julia with unconcealed interest and walked inside. One of the girls put a big tray with food on the low table by the window, another one crouched by the fireplace. Julia wondered what story Loki had told them in order to avoid gossips. Whatever it had been - the sight of his coat in her room ruined it completely, Julia could tell it from the looks on girls’ faces.

Her communication skills were enough to obtain shoes - very similar to ballet flats she had lost back in the forest. Then the servants left, and Julia rushed towards the table. She hadn't eaten a thing since last morning. There was bread and butter, a variety of cooked and roaster meat cut in slices, fresh vegetables and fruits. Julia tried a little bit of everything and drank some strange herbal tea with a marigold aftertaste. After she felt full, the girl took a bite of a small round fruit which tasted a little like plum and a little like apple, and tried to summarise the frantic events of the night. She lost her new watch, her phone, a bunch of credit cards and her favourite pair of jeans, as well as her face. An impressive list of achievements for one night out in the woods.

Julia finished the breakfast and stood by the window, nervously drumming her fingers over the wide windowsill. The girl had never felt so scared of Loki as the night before, when his eyes were turning red with rage and the only thing separating them was his coat too big for her. Julia did not have a single clue how to behave around him now. The Asgardian did not only see her naked, he carried her around the forest in his arms. The girl frankly hoped that he would act as a gentleman, and abstain from teasing and humiliating remarks. She had not said a word when he had kissed her back in Ireland, besotted with the leprechaun’s potion, and it would have been nice if Loki could do the same for her now. Neither of them was fourteen years old, after all.

A familiar short knock at the door made her stomach do a flip. The door opened, and Loki strode into the room. He studied the girl’s face, made notice of his coat folded alongside dresses, and rocked from heels to toes a couple of times. Julia considered the distance between them to be safe enough and breathed out with relief.

"You do not have a taste in music." Loki said leniently and stretched out a hand. Julia raised her brows at the sight of her phone.

Not everything was lost, which was good. And apparently, a fingerprint lock on the screen was not a security measure good enough to stop Loki.

"You do not have a hairdryer in the bathroom." She countered with a frown, wondering what Loki had found more repulsive: Metallica hard riffs, her running playlist of disco remixes, or obscene lyrics of Bloodhound Gang. "Is there no such word as privacy in Asgardian vocabulary?"

Loki raised his brows, contemplating the maid. Without a doubt she was angry with him, but at the same time too tense and frightened to confront him openly, resorting to passive-aggressive remarks instead. Julia made several careful steps forward and took the phone, trying not to touch his fingers. The silence was getting unbearable.

"Is the time flow here any different from Earth?" She asked.

Loki shook his head.

"The difference is so small it is impossible to notice. Our day lasts twenty-four hours, just like yours; the only variance is that this division fits our flow of time perfectly, and we do not need to add a day to the calendar every four years to balance it out."  
"It’s called leap year. You mean… the twenty-four hour convention was your idea?!" Julia laughed out with surprise.

Loki smirked.

"We used to share achievements with less developed races." He acknowledged, his look slightly boastful. "This one was embraced by your folk, as well as some others."

They both seemed to be handling the adult civilised discussion well. Also, her visit in the magical kingdom would not result in a hundred years long absence which also was good.

"I shall call in the healer now. After the examination is complete I can bring you back to Midgard." Loki spoke shortly.

Julia nodded with gratitude. From what she could say, at this moment they both shared the desire to spend in each other’s company as little time as possible. Asking for a guided tour around the magical kingdom would have been a quintessence of bad timing.

The rest of her time in Asgard passed in a flash and the girl hoped that minutes could run just a little faster. Instead of one healer she got five: two men and three women surrounded the girl, speaking quietly to each other and from time to time asking Loki of something. Later one of the doctors tossed a small blue sphere up in the air, and it started swirling around the girl’s head. The man turned to Loki and gave him a short nod. Apparently, she would not turn into a troll after all. Then Loki accompanied her to the hall where the passage to her world would be, and Julia tried not to be bothered by the fact that she was wearing nothing under a long beautiful dress which made her feel like a runaway princess. In silence Loki pulled her closer when opening the portal, without a word they walked towards her door.

To her and his misfortune, their next meeting was soon to come and impossible to avoid.

\----------

What Julia did not remember kept coming back in dreams. Her nightmares were dark and sucked her in like the oily black waters of the troll lake. The dreams were filled with scratching tree branches, smell of the wet forest at night, and strange creatures lurking in the shadows. She slept with the light on since that night and woke up screaming with the heart pounding loudly.

What Loki did not want to remember kept coming back in dreams as well. His fantasies were pitch-black, addicting and tenacious, pulling him into the inky void like tentacles of an ancient monster.

_He looked over his shoulder and smirked:_

_"Not that turning into a troll would make you look any different..."_

_With the corner of his eye he noticed the girl gasp with anger and indignation, and wrap the coat around herself tighter._

_"You know what?!" The maid yelled at the verge of crying. "You go fuck yourself, you bloody…"_

_She never finished the sentence. Loki reached the girl in one long leap, no more than twenty centimeters separating them. The Midgardian took a small step back, their eyes locked together, and hunched up her shoulders. Loki moved closer and Julia let out a quiet whine as he firmly grabbed her chin, forcing the girl to lift her head._

_"For someone this weak and helpless you are too insolent." He hissed. "And I will tolerate this no more. You shall never speak to me again like this."_

_The maid was slightly shivering, he could feel her fear with his skin._

_"Loki, please…" He saw her lips move soundlessly through the crimson haze of anger, so strong it was blurring both his vision and mind. The Midgardian still had white water flowers in her hair, and he felt the faint fresh smell of the magical forest again - and he finally gave in to the madness._

_Loki grasped the maid’s shoulders and pushed her back, pinning the girl to the wall. He kissed her - not tenderly, but roughly pressing his lips upon hers, with such force that her head hit the wall. Julia squealed in pain and confusion, her eyes wide open, and tried to push him away, pressing her hands against his chest. She could try and move the wall, the result would have been the same. Loki growled quietly and bit her bottom lip, forcing the girl to open her mouth and thrusting his tongue inside. He fisted her hair with one hand, making Julia tilt her head back. She yanked in pain and arched her back, involuntarily pressing her belly and thighs against his body._

_The kiss was short, but it felt as if it had lasted for hours. Loki pulled back from the girl, panting heavily. Julia drew a shaky breath, looking at him in terror, her half open lips red and swollen after his short cruel advance. She was almost completely immobilized by his body pressing her against the wall, and Loki knew that she could feel how aroused he was, he could tell that from the look of panic in her eyes._

_"Get away from me!" Julia squeaked, her voice caught in her throat. She pushed him in the chest with shaky hands, and the man obediently fulfilled her demand, contemplating the girl with interest. "Fuck off!"_  
_"You just can’t keep your dirty little mouth shut." Loki gave a hoarse short laugh and with satisfaction registered lines of tears on her cheeks. Barely dressed, cornered and frightened, the maid still kept fighting him, making his desire unbearable and the need to crush her and punish her - vital. "Should I teach you how to beg me properly?"_

_The girl was shivering. Julia whimpered and lashed out at him, aiming the nails at his face, but Loki stepped back with a chuckle, and her fingers barely brushed his neck. Loki followed her gaze as the girl looked around in panic, and frowned when he noticed her lock her eyes on the door._

_"Not the best idea." He said casually, savouring her confusion and fear. The maid looked back at him. "You really think that you can make it out of this chamber?"_  
_"You… you can’t do this!" Julia whispered in a shaky voice. "Please! Loki, please don’t…"_

_With her back pressed to the wall, she had nowhere to run, and Loki took a tiny step forward, with a wicked grin noticing how the maid’s lips started to tremble._

_"Please!"_

_"You learn fast." He breathed out, and with one sharp rip tore the coat open, sending the metal buckles flying across the room._

_Loki pulled the piece of clothing off the maid’s shoulders, long sleeves restraining her hands and making her completely helpless. He cupped her thighs and lifted her up in the air so that her face would be on the same level as his. With her hands restrained by the sleeves of his coat, the girl squirmed desperately and snapped her teeth in front of his nose. Loki huffed and slid one of his hands up her side, his fingers cool against her skin._

_"No, stop…" The girl cried out before he sealed her lips with another kiss._

_This time his kiss was slow. The Asgardian explored Julia’s mouth with his tongue, cupping and squeezing her breast at the same time. The girl whimpered against his lips as his fingers tugged on her nipple. Loki slid his palm up against her skin, pressing his fingers to the vein beating on the maid’s neck and feeling the frantic fast pulse. He broke the kiss and glanced at the Midgardian, her eyes firmly squeezed shut and lips wet and full after his kiss. Loki sharply tugged Julia's hair, forcing her to tilt the head back, and pressed his mouth to her neck, biting the tender skin. He felt the girl's body shiver, and Julia gasped in pain. Loki pulled back for a moment, studying her wet cheeks and the red bitemarks he had left, and leaned forward again, placing light open mouth kisses on her neck and up to the ear, and gently brushing his fingers through the girl’s hair._

_The maid’s body in his arms relaxed, she even arched her back a little, giving in to his touch. At the sound of Julia’s quiet moan Loki groaned and impatiently thrust his hips forward, pressing his pulsating erection against her open thighs. He hastily ripped the coat that had been restraining her movements, and walked towards the bed, firmly pressing the girl’s body against his._

_Julia snapped out of the shock when Loki lowered her on the bed sheets and let go of her, stripping off the tunic and unlacing the pants. She shuddered and attempted to attack him once more, trying to kick him with her knee and push the man away. It was a success this time - sort of. Loki looked down on four long scratches from her nails on his chest and stomach, and Julia froze, watching his pupils turn red again. With one inhumanly fast move he caught her arms and pressed his body upon hers, pinning the girl to the mattress._

_"You know that I can make you do anything I want?" The Asgardian growled, holding Julia’s wrists above her head. She stubbornly bit her lip. "I can make you kneel and beg me to fuck you. I can make you worship me."_

_Loki brought his face closer to Julia’s, realizing how lovely she looked despite the messy hair and swollen red eyes. He pushed her thighs open with one knee, and positioned himself on top of the maiden. Julia arched her back and twitched when she felt his pulsating erection pressed against her crotch, and Loki could not hold a surprised sigh. Her core was throbbing and hot, and no matter how desperately the girl had been fighting him, her body was not lying._

_"You are as wet as a cheap tavern wench." Loki puffed against her lips mockingly. Julia looked at him with eyes wide open and tried to stifle a sob. " You want me to fuck you, don’t you?"_  
_"No! Please, stop!" She whined, but Loki thrust his hips forward, pushing his full length inside her with one sharp move, and Julia’s begging turned into a long whimper._

_Loki moved fast, taking her violently and angrily, wishing for nothing more than to punish the Midgardian for the futile and pathetic attempt to fight him, for their deal, for the way his life went after they had met, and for the awful sensation of having no control. He was not gentle, but the girl’s body was responding nevertheless - a heatwave of blush rose to her cheeks and collarbones, small drops of sweat covered her forehead, and his member was sliding inside her wet folds with no resistance._

_"Little hypocrite." Loki growled and laughed when he felt Julia rock her thighs a little towards him. "You want this so much and yet you dare resist me…"_  
_"No!"_

_The maiden shook her head, and tried to free herself of his clutch once again. Loki ceased to move for a moment, hypnotized by the fierce look on her face as the girl struggled with him again._

_"Stop fighting, Julia," the Asgardian breathed out, and Julia glanced at him with hatred. The girl squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lips in order to remain completely soundless._

_Loki growled with disapproval at her attempt to deny him the pleasure of hearing her moans. He lowered his head down to Julia's breast and pulled her nipple with his teeth. The girl whined, and he bit her again, the sounds of her whimpers arousing him more with every second._

_"Stop fighting me!" Loki repeated, his voice a low begging moan._

_He hated Julia just as much as she hated him, maybe even more, but the need to punish her was gone. Instead, Loki felt a strange desire to make the intercourse enjoyable for the girl. He slowed down, his thrusts lazy and almost gentle. Loki let go of Julia's hands he had been holding all this time, and buried his face against the girl's neck, pressing his lips against the hot skin._

_And then, she gave in._ _With a soft moan Julia arched her back and wrapped her arms around his neck. She let out a low animal-like howl, and Loki felt her nails dig into his skin and the walls of her womb tighten and clench around his shaft. He roared loudly, pushing inside her with all force, and came, the pleasure of the orgasm doubled by the sensation of her muscles pulsating around him._

The dreams were leaving him with a tight hot knot in the lower abdomen and a feeling of filth stuck to his skin.

Loki had his own definition of being honest. He lied to the Allfather, to his brother, to his mother and to everyone around, but never - to himself. He was well aware of the fact that many things he has done recently were shameful and corrupt - most of his deeds would be classified as crimes in his Realm as well as Midgard. However, among all the possible misdeeds rape was the one he would never commit. He always perceived forcing oneself upon a woman as a primitive solution for the weak, for those who see no other remedy than brute force in situations when something they crave is unreachable. And Loki did not consider himself weak. He was confused and frustrated, and extremely angry with himself. In each and every dream of this kind he would approach the Midgardian with the intention to ravish her body and bring her suffering, but through the dream the need to make her long for his touch would grow stronger, making his kisses and moves gentle. She would always give in to him in the end, but still it did not help against the sensation of weakness and emptiness he was experiencing afterwards. Dreams are dreams, nevertheless it did not change the fact that he felt like a rapist after waking up.

Ice cold showers in order to calm both his mind and his body would last longer every time, and standing under the streams of water, Loki decided that there was a good explanation for what was happening. He has not been with a woman for a very long time. The craving he felt was nothing more than a normal, physiological desire of the flesh, the Midgardian ended up in his dreams by accident. It was only because of the indecently short attire she wore once, and no attire at all the other time. Without a doubt, he needed to bed a woman to make this pass, and this was not going to be a problem. Among all the maids at service in the palace there surely would be many willing to assist the King with his additional needs.

\----------

Julia stood in front of the mirror and stared at her dress with so much hatred that if a gaze could burn, the small piece of golden silk would have been in flames a long time ago.

They were going clubbing together with Loki - their next destination lay in the port of Amsterdam. A private club in a loft by the docs caught Julia’s attention due to some strange events. A man was hospitalised in Berlin with severe burns he got while petting a newly-bought rare breed of comodo dragon; and from what Julia could tell from a three minute YouTube video, the creature was no dragon but a real life salamander. A similar situation took place in Rotterdam, where a puppy rich parents had bought for the daughter’s birthday suddenly grew two more heads and started spitting poison all around. All the victims were members of a very elite club where Julia was heading now together with Loki, and the dress code was killing her.

Julia had always been practical and realistic, which included a fair assessment of everything, including herself. And no matter how much the girl wanted it to be otherwise, she could classify herself as cute and attractive, but nothing above that. A night in the forest with Loki did not cause her any new insecurities, but it made the girl a little too cautious when picking herself a dress for a night out. It turned out there was little to choose from, each one shorter than the previous. The golden one looked decent enough. It was knee-long, but lack of shoulder straps and a rather low decollete were causing her doubts.

The short knock at the door put an end to Julia's problem of choice.

"You should look more or less like this" She tossed at Loki an open fashion magazine instead of greeting.

He slowly strode inside, studying the picture of a man dressed in a classic suit, and approached a full size mirror in order to alter his apparel the proper way. Julia put on a pair of burgundy high heels and rummaged further for a clutch bag. She was grateful for lack of comments related to her apparel.

Getting inside was not a problem with Loki around: it turned out that both of them were on the guest list. Julia signed a statement that nothing she sees inside will ever reach the press; she agreed to a long list of internal rules and regulations and handed over her phone. The visitors were supposed to spend the whole night in the club; doors would open again only around seven A.M. They were let inside through a thick and heavy velvet curtain; and Julia squeezed her eyes shut at a powerful blue flash of a camera as they walked inside.

The club was full. It did not look differently from any other - the same murk and loud music, bar counter and a stage; the same people as everywhere else, dancing, drinking and having fun.

 _"Pathetic"_ \- she noticed Loki whisper soundlessly, and rolled her eyes, pulling him away from the dance floor. They sat on a couch in the corner and studied the leaflets they had gotten at the entrance. The printouts included a thank you letter from the owner, an impressive list of beverages available in the open bar, and a list of auction items for today. Julia quickly looked through scarce descriptions: a magical bird with a human face, small human-like creatures with wings, and a midget with goat legs. Julia and Loki looked at each other with confusion. The club surely was a place for illegal auctions and traffic of magical beings rich people would buy for entertainment. Moreover, it was obvious that Julia was not the only one to know of the magical creatures’ existence, and it was rather bad than good.

They strode towards the bar counter, looking around. The girl glanced at the crowd filling the club and sighed. Guys with enough money to buy a fire breathing salamander are usually accompanied by women like the ones present in the club: tall, slim, tanned, with perfect hair and flawless faces. She felt too short among them even on heels, and her skin was too pale, and she had forgotten to apply lipstick. Loki was actually standing out of the crowd far less than her. Julia had to admit that the Asgardian was a ten out of ten - until he opened his mouth to speak. Accompanying him in a place like this, under the eyes of countless beautiful women, felt strangely pleasing and a little surreal. Julia felt a light touch on her waist and turned to Loki with surprise.

"What do you want?" Loki shouted loudly, leaning so close the girl felt his hot breath on her neck.

Julia looked up at him without understanding.

"What do you mean?" She shouted back. On her insanely high heels she was reaching a bit over Loki's shoulder.  
"I mean that right now I shall head to the bar. All these people drink, we should not look suspicious. What should I get for you?"  
"Red wine." Julia’s heart was craving eighteen years old single malt whiskey but she needed a clear head. "Dry, please."

She studied Loki’s back as he headed towards the bar, a perfectly fitting black suit and dark hair neatly brushed back. The Asgardian waved his hand shortly, calling the barman. The man at the counter rushed towards him at once and Julia snorted with amusement as she noticed the barman bow a little when taking the order. Loki nodded to the barman, accepting his glass, and took a sip. He rested an elbow on the counter, glancing over the shining colorful floodlights under the ceiling, and the people dancing to the loud fast music. From the look on his face Julia could not tell what he was thinking of, and whether he liked the place or not. And then the girl hugged herself uneasily, suddenly realising that for the last minute at least Loki had been watching _her_ , not the loud crowd around. She definitely chose a very small dress to wear today.

Suddenly Loki winced and slowly lifted a hand to his neck. A surprised and confused expression appeared on his face as he pulled out a short arrow. The Asgardian looked at the arrow, raised his eyes at Julia, and suddenly collapsed on the floor face down, brushing several glasses down from the counter. Some woman screamed. Julia rushed forward, and when she pushed through the crowd gathering around Loki, she noticed his skin turn blue and the suit change back to his normal apparel.

The music stopped playing at once, the club filled only with a nervous hum of voices.

"Ladies and gentlemen," spoke a cheerful voice enhanced by the microphone. "What an eventful evening! We almost started to panic that there is nothing interesting to offer on today's auctions, and it seems that our prayers have been heard. I am almost starting to believe in God - the generous deus ex machina who brought you the best attraction of the evening! This creature entered the club disguised as one of us, and I insist it stays till the end of the night! As always, within fifteen minutes you will be able to take a closer look at all our auction items downstairs. Please get ready!"

Julia watched four men pull unconscious Loki across the floor towards the entrance. As they dragged his body through the door, there was the same blue flash of light - it was no camera, but a magical barrier of some sort. The men disappeared downstairs, and the crowd around Julia calmed down, a quiet hum of voices filling the air. The music started to play again.

The kidnapping of Loki took place in broad daylight and lasted no more than three minutes, and the girl could do nothing, only watch. And it was very, very bad.

When it was time to go downstairs in order to get familiar with the list of auction items, Julia got swept along by the crowd. The hall in the basement was almost the same as upstairs, with a bar counter and velvet couches to seat on, a row of huge metal cages being the only difference. From upstairs Julia caught a glimpse of Loki sprawled on the floor, face-down and still unconscious. She tried to get closer but failed to make her way through the agitated and interested crowd of potential bidders.

Julia felt like she had gotten dragged into a crazy movie about human trafficking and narcotics: Loki being drugged, caged and sold like an animal, and there was not much she could do. However, having a strong female character like princess Leia Organa as a role model obliged her to take action. Julia considered her options. She wouldn't be able to buy Loki out even if she had sold her house and car - if the biddings for the less interesting items started at twenty thousand dollars, the girl could not even imagine what the price for him would be, sky was the limit. She could call the police - after she gets out of the club and gets her phone back. No one will let her out till seven A.M., and by that time Loki would already find himself a rich foster family, and who knows if they ever see each other again. She had to think fast.

Julia bit her lip, helplessly looking around. Loki was a fucking star - the thick agitated crowd was surrounding the cage with the unconscious Asgardian. Julia walked back and forth along the row of cages, reading the descriptions of the creatures. From what she could say, the sponsors of the auction hadn't done their homework well. The owner of the club found a way to restrain the magical beings, but did not bother to learn what kind of beasts he had caged. Julia studied the pixies - tiny playful fairies with dragonfly wings - described as “small human-like creatures with wings”. To the left there was a cage with a big sleeping bird and a sign saying “magical bird with human face”, nothing above that. No country of origin, no special characteristics, no user manual. Julia wondered if she could use the ignorance of the auction sponsors to her advantage, but there was no way she could even approach the cages - security guards armed with both small arrows and normal guns were making sure the public stays back. Inside each metal cage there was a wooden one and a circle of salt on the floor, surrounding the creatures with an impenetrable barrier. Julia bit her knuckle, rocking from heels to toes impatiently. She couldn't come up with a single idea how to get Loki out.

Returning to the hall upstairs Julia received a fresh printout of the updated auction list. Her stomach made a flip as she read the line at the very end: _a humanoid creature with blue skin, heavily armed, presumably very dangerous._ Loki was the most expensive attraction of the evening - biddings would start from a million dollars.

The music gradually got quieter, and three loud hits of the hammer started the auction. It was going the same way as all those the girl had seen in films - but instead of old furniture and paintings living magical creatures were sold. What would princess Leia Organa do? Julia didn’t have a slightest idea.

After the first item was announced it became clear that the “humanoid creature with blue skin” was the real drawing card of the evening. The visitors were not paying attention, talking to each other as the club owner vividly described the pixies and the satire. Julia clutched a glass of wine and stared blankly at the stage, listening with half an ear to the quick agitated patter of the host.

"A wonderful specimen, a magical bird of incredible beauty and value. It has a lovely face of a woman and will become a pearl in every collection of rare animals. Delivered from Greece three days ago specially for today’s auction..."

A swirl of images and facts flew over Julia’s head: all that she had read, heard, seen and learned of the magical creatures till present day, and she rushed forward, hoping that her crazy idea would work out. There was only one type of birds with human faces available in Greece: sirens, half birds half women, hypnotizing and luring sailors to destruction with the sound of their voices. _Princess Leia had a plan._

"Wait, I’m buying!" She cried out.

The loud hit of a hammer sealed the deal. Julia completed the transaction in a sterile clean, brightly lit office upstairs. She even held a careless smile on her face while she wired all the money she had on the bank account. The girl shook hands with the club owner and received a cage covered with a veil, and an invitation to stay till the end of the night.

Julia marched out of the office with her back straight, walked down the stairs and sank on a soft velvet couch. Her heart was beating like insane and knees were shaking; the girl hugged the cage, listening to the quiet cooing of the magical bird.

She had just cleaned out her bank account completely, she had risked everything she had - and the only thing left to do now was to wait and see if it pays off. Julia took a deep breath and pulled the cover off the cage. The bird was indeed the least eye-catching of all magical creatures the auction was offering: size of a peacock, with dull grayish feathers, the siren looked like it was either sick or going through a moult.

"Wake up!" Julia whispered, putting a finger through the grate.

The bird took its head from under the wing, and Julia shivered at the sight of a small woman's head on the bird’s neck. The combination looked surreal and terrifying. The siren had wavy hair of dark copper color and a straight Greek nose. The creature's eyes were hypnotizing, all black, with no pupils or iris. The siren was watching Julia with interest.

"Hi," the girl said quietly, unsure whether the bird understood her at all. What if it comprehends only ancient Greek?! "My name is Julia, I just bought you… I hope you don't mind. Can you please start singing now?"

The siren cocked its head to a side and crooned. Julia rubbed her face, stressing out more and more. She had no idea how to make the bird sing. Minutes passed, nervous pulsation in Julia's stomach was growing stronger. The girl stared at the guests as the auction continued, and both pixies and the satire were sold. There was a half hour break now before the last bid.

Julia could feel the precious time run fast, like water from an open tap. She was tapping her fingers on the cage, first nervously, then with irritation, trying to get the bird's attention. The siren sat on a perch and stared at the girl in a detached way.

"Start singing!" Julia ordered.

The bird did not even blink, its dark eyes deep as two wells.

"Sing, now!" The girl poked the creature’s wing.

The siren moved on the perch, shifting her paws.

"I need you to sing, you fucking chicken!" Julia hissed and hit the cage with force. The siren screamed with anger, unfolding its wide soft wings. "Start right now, you useless piece of shit!"

Julia yelped in pain and fear whe the bird suddenly rushed forward and bit her finger, digging small sharp triangular teeth deep into the flesh. The girl shook the cage, trying to pull the hand away, but the siren would not let her go. Julia panicked, almost crying with sharp pain.

The bird let go of Julia's finger as unexpectedly as it had attacked her. The girl whimpered, shaking in pain and hastily searching for wet wipes in her bag. She raised her eyes to look at the bird inside the cage and gasped.

The siren’s face was covered in fresh blood, lips and chin all red. The creature smiled at Julia tenderly and unfolded its wings. The faded scarce feathers were changing color, shining with juicy golden and dark blue. The bird seemed bigger now, and its wings wider. The siren’s lips started to move - first soundlessly, then Julia heard a soft enchanting voice, almost as quiet as a whisper. The song was strange: the girl could not understand a single word, but the sound of it was soothing and comforting, like a lullaby.

"You need blood to sing…" Julia spoke slowly, carefully brushing a shining feather with her wounded finger.

She jerked and almost let go of the cage when someone touched her shoulder.

"Are you hurt, Ma’am?" A waiter asked her with concern. "Be careful with your new pet, these beasts can be dangerous. You are bleeding, should I escort you to the medic?"

Julia shook her head hastily.

"No, everything is fine, I just… Is there some place quiet where I can sit for a moment alone? I guess my bird is scared of the loud music."

Julia followed the waiter upstairs and into a dark lounge with soft light and cozy velvet couches. The place was completely empty: all the guests had gathered in the hall downstairs for the biggest drawing card of the evening: _Loki._

Julia waited for the man to leave, and then locked the door. She opened the birdcage, and the creature flitted outside. The bird made a circle around the room and landed on Julia's forearm when the girl stretched out her left hand. The siren was unexpectedly weightless for a bird of such size; she unfolded the beautifully colored wings and locked eyes with Julia. The girl nervously bit her lip, walked towards an open bar and grabbed a half-full bottle of cognac off the counter. She drew a shaky breath and took several sips straight out of the bottle.

"Loki needs our help. You will sing for me." Julia said decisively and with caution reached towards the bird with her spare hand. The siren did not bite this time, but instead rubbed its head over Julia’s palm in a cat-like manner. "I will feed you now, and then we will go and fuck this place up. Deal?"

The creature smiled at the girl, and Julia felt that she was drowning in the bird's dark eyes, falling deeper and deeper into the void. And then the siren dug her teeth deeply into Julia’s open palm. The girl clenched her jaws together, trying not to cry aloud.

\----------

Julia trod unevenly and slowly down the stairs, a siren on her forearm and an open bottle of cognac in the other hand. Her palm was bitten to the bone, and even through a thick haze of intoxication Julia felt the burning throbbing pain. What kept her going was the melody. The siren’s song was slow and hypnotizing, the sound stronger and louder with every moment. Julia stopped for a moment on top of the stairs, staring at the crowd below - all guests alert, their eyes wide with surprise as they looked back at her. She saw the world in a very strange way right now: all colors were more intense, and the movements of the people slower. Julia frowned at the sight of two men in dark suits, approaching her with small crossbows in their hands. A wave of fear and anger rose within her as Julia noticed small wooden arrows like the one that hit Loki. She felt her - or the siren’s - wide colorful wings open behind her back, and the security guards fell on their knees, letting go of the weapons. The echo was enhancing the sound of the siren’s song multiple times, making the glasses in the guests’ hands vibrate and crack.

"Run." Julia felt her lips move soundlessly.

For a moment the pompously dressed crowd just stared at her, hypnotized by the song, and then the people rushed forward, without screams, silently moving towards the locked doors all as one. The guards and club owner were the only ones to remain in their places motionless, swaying to the melody. Julia walked forward slowly, with the corner of her eye noticing that the mob had broken through the locked door and was leaving the club, people fiercely elbowing their way out. In a full wall mirror she caught her own reflection - lines of mascara on her cheeks and blood stains on her dress, head cocked to a side in a bird-like manner, and turned away, towards the stairs leading to the basement. The club owner would not run until she allows him to - Julia was certain about that.

In the middle of the stairs leading to the basement Julia felt the siren’s claws dig into her forearm, and blinked, waking up from the trance. She turned to look at the bird which was nervously flapping its wings in the air.

"Don't be scared." Julia carefully stroked the feathers of the bird, trying not to stain them with blood. "We own this place now."

She walked into the hall and approached the biggest cage, both the metal and wooden doors open, only the salt circle on the floor left intact. In the mirk of the empty basement Loki sat on the floor with his head down. The girl noticed him tense up at the sound of her steps.

Loki raised his head, and Julia froze. She had witnessed his palms turn blue as he did magic, she even caught a glimpse of azure on his neck and cheeks once, but she had never seen the man change to his ice giant form completely. His skin was bright blue, contrasting in a bizarre way with raven black hair. Loki’s forehead and chin were streaked with a strange scar-like pattern, his eyes red and glimmering in the darkness. Hoarfrost covered the floor of the basement within the confines of the circle surrounding the Asgardian. Julia swallowed, unable to look away.

Loki was staring back at her with a mixture of trouble, confusion and terror, his eyes darting from blood stains on her skirt, to the wound on her hand, and to the strange bird.

"What the fuck happened upstairs?" He breathed out.

Julia reeled slightly and grasped the grate of his cage in order to stand straight.

"I bought myself a pet and ruined the evening." She uttered and giggled. "Just to think that someone was willing to buy you for a million dollars…"  
"What is this creature, and how did you get hurt?" Loki asked impatiently, standing up.  
"It is a siren, her singing hypnotizes people. I bought her to get you out of here. Right now all the guests have left, and we need to figure out what to do with the club owner and his business. Unfortunately, my bird needs blood to sing, so I had to feed her…" Julia waved her wounded hand in the air, unsure whether any further explanation was required.

Loki frowned, processing the news.

"Whatever. Now that you are here, let me out!" He ordered.

Julia narrowed her eyes and felt her lips curve by themselves into someone else's cold, cruel smile. The feeling of power was more intoxicating than the cognac. She has just taken over the nightclub all by herself. She was wearing her most awesome shoes, and she was more badass than Princess Leia.

The situation was a total deja vu of the Christmas eve when Loki had been trapped in exactly the same way - with the only difference that now the girl was not scared of him at all. The feeling of being in control of the situation was pushing her ribcage from inside with bubbling and insane joy, but the sensation of having control over _him_ was making Julia slightly shiver with an extremely intense feeling of butterflies in the stomach. The girl felt hot despite the waves of cold air spreading from Loki. In his ice giant form the man looked bizarre, but captivating, and not at all less handsome. Julia was suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of arousal so strong it got hard to breathe.

The girl took a deep breath and leaned over the entrance to the cage.

"And why would I do that?" She crooned, copying Loki's tone.

The man looked at her in surprise.

"Because…" Loki started to speak, but fell silent abruptly and narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

What goes around, comes around. Julia remembered the night in the troll forest and the humiliating march through the woods, and his threat to take away the wet coat, and she knew that Loki remembered it as well.

"Really?" He hissed, folding arms on his chest. " _Really?!_

Julia nodded energetically and swung her arm in the air. The siren cooed softly and flew over to sit on the beer tap.

"You little stupid, revengeful bitch!" Loki roared and slammed the invisible magical barrier separating them. "You want me to beg you to set me free?!"

Julia took a sip of cognac and stared at him musingly.

"It actually would be nice." She smirked. "Strange that I haven't thought of it before..."  
"And what makes you think I shall do this? You are nothing but a small feeble creature, inferior to me and too stupid to accept this fact. I shall never beg someone like you for anything, for I am a being of power you cannot even comprehend with your little mind, and all I want I take without asking for permission!..."  
"Oh, cry me a river!" Julia interrupted him in a disrespectful manner. "I am waiting for your apology and a solemn promise to be good. And maybe - _maybe_ , then I will let you out."  
"Well, you have to accept the fact that I’d rather tear my own tongue out." Loki said coldly, looking at the girl with disdain. "It is fascinating how you fail to learn on your mistakes. You do the same thing all over again: you fail to think of the consequences. Imagine what I will do to you when I get out of this trap."

Julia glanced at the man’s broad chest and strong hands and giggled, alcohol making her thoughts flow in a rather unexpected direction. Loki growled quietly. The girl kicked the gorgeous, but murderously uncomfortable heels away and sighed, taking bobby pins out of her hair and letting it fall on her shoulders. God knows how tired she was - tired and confused. Saving the day alone was not an easy job.

"Speaking of learning..." Julia had to tilt her head back now to look Loki in the eyes. "Of course I will set you free, we both know it. Not because I have to - trust me, I can walk out, lock up the basement and return tomorrow evening after I visit all the museums of Amsterdam. Or I can let the police find you. But I will let you out because I do not feel good when other people suffer."

Loki wanted to say something, but the girl stopped him with a gesture.

"I shall speak now, and you shall listen." She said, and her voice was filled with such desperation that Loki remained silent. "We spoke once of the differences between your race and mine, and I think that I finally figured it out. You say that humans are weak, pathetic and unwise, but there is something that makes us better than you - our ability to feel compassion, to be empathic, not to treat others like garbage. And I tried this with you - God knows how hard I tried! But I’m tired, I cannot do it anymore - I mean, I cannot do this alone… It is actually funny: you are not even closely as awful as I thought you would be, and you are not half as bad as you think of yourself... If only you gave yourself a chance..."  
"What are you trying to say?" Loki growled, watching the girl with confusion and trying to stifle a slight and unexpected feeling of guilt.  
"I am trying to… Damn! I am offering you a gentlemen's agreement." Julia looked up at him bravely, her voice suddenly ringing loudly through the empty basement. "There is no turning back from the contract we made: we are both in this till the end of our deal, or till I die, or till we save the world from whatever horrible end awaits it. I have learned to accept this, I have almost learned to accept you, however fucked-up and violent you are. It was not easy, but I kept trying. And now I suggest you try this as well. I suggest you turn off your auto-pilot dick mode and try to treat me as equal, and remember that I am a living being like you, and I can be scared and sad, and it hurts me when you treat me like shit."

The girl ceased to speak and straightened her back, her eyes locked with Loki’s.

"What if I disagree?" Loki huffed.

Julia pursed her lips and a sad frown appeared on her forehead for a moment.

"Then nothing changes, and we will be doing this all over again: you will be having glimpses of being a normal person, then you will be remembering how much you hate and despise me, and we will be having a nasty quarrel just like we always do. I will be unhappy because I will be constantly expecting you to behave like a cold bastard, and you will be unhappy as well, because since we spend together quite a lot of time, you will be condemned to the company of a person who hates you deeply. And it is not a pleasant feeling - believe me, I know..."

Loki bit the inside of his cheek. The prick of guilt he had felt a moment ago did not leave him be - instead, the sensation was growing stronger with every second. He looked at the maid again, the stains of blood on the dress and the wounded right hand pressed to the chest, and shame made him shudder. The Midgardian has just single-handedly taken over the nightclub in order to set him free. She let a siren drink her blood for his sake. Loki knew that he would have found a way out sooner or later, but the girl didn’t - and she chose to sacrifice her own life and well-being for him. Not because she had to - their contract did not make her feel pain when he was in danger - but because she did not want him to suffer. Did he deserve this?

_You are not even closely as awful as I thought you would be, and you are not half as bad as you think of yourself..._

"What if I agree?"

The maid looked so shocked as if she had just witnessed him grow another head, but then a sly smile lifted the corners of her lips.

"In this case, a gentleman's agreement is traditionally sealed with a handshake."

And she stretched out her right hand, crossing the magical barrier separating them. The trail of salt on the flow glowed white, but nothing else happened since the maid was a human.

Loki froze, looking at her with surprise and pity. The Midgardian once again proved to him complete lack of intelligence or self preservation instinct. He could grab her wrist right now and pull the girl inside the magical cage. He could break her hand, he could strangle her, he could do many things to scare her to death and to make her suffer physically and emotionally. And from the decisive and alert look in her eyes Loki understood, that she knew it all. And yet, it didn't stop her.

"You know that it is not binding, do you?" Loki asked quietly, staring at her hand stretched out towards him.

Julia nodded energetically.

"Oh yes, I am well aware of that. This is what makes our life so fascinating - the freedom of choice!"

Loki narrowed his eyes. And then he slowly reached out, taking Julia’s hand for a short careful handshake, trying not to hurt her wounded palm.

"The guests have left, but the club owner and his squad are waiting for you upstairs. And I bought myself a siren, but I have no idea what to do with it now... Besides, I am totally broke, and I think I'm gonna faint." Julia informed Loki in a business-like manner and slowly slid on the floor, pressing her back to the wall of the cage. "You do the clean up now."

Loki stepped out of the broken circle and carefully picked the girl up, taking her to the nearest couch. She had just spared him the humiliation of being sold like cattle at the market place, and he owed her for that. _And it was the only reason why he was doing this._

"I shall start with fixing your hand." Loki said. "I have some healing powder with me. And then you shall wait here while I… do the clean up. And do not dare leave the dungeon until I call for you! You might not like what you see up there."

Walking up the stairs, Loki tried to find a word for the strange unnamed feeling, a tiny foreign body the size of a pea that was throbbing somewhere deep inside his chest, filling him with warmth he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Maybe this is what _gratitude_ feels like?


	16. Wind of Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Maybe there is no turning back to what had once been, but there is always hope for something good in the days yet to come._
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> A chapter filled with emotions, revelations, heroes finding inner peace, and hot sex ;)

The front door opened and Loki was greeted with a smile so wide and cheerful he almost turned around to check if someone else hadn't come over for a visit. The Midgardian must have just returned from her office - she was still dressed in a dark skirt and blue long-sleeved shirt. The maid beckoned at the Asgardian, inviting him to come in, and turned around with a pirouette:

"I got thinner!" She sang out instead of a greeting, and Loki followed her inside.  
"Is it… good?" He asked without certainty, watching her disappear in the kitchen door.  
"Are you kidding me?! Of course, it’s a dream come true!" The girl laughed out loud. "All my skirts are literally falling off, and I have nothing to wear. You should think of investing in your own fitness club. A couple of months of monster hunt and non-stop stress, and every girl would look amazing."  
"Amazing or not, it seems like a matter of opinion to me." Loki shrugged. "I fail to understand why you are so happy. I think you need to eat more, if you keep losing weight you will look sick."

Julia hesitated. She was not sure if Loki voicing his opinion about her body was something she wanted, and at the same time she was amused by his sincere feedback. From his reaction she could guess that Asgardian women did not usually kvetch about being fat to their boyfriends - or maybe, no woman had ever dared to bother The God of Mischief with such petty problems. Julia recalled that he had a chance to take a good look at her body to make a fair assessment, and started to blush. At this moment a loud shriek sounded from the living room, turning the man's attention from her appearance to the source of the noise.

"What is this?" Loki asked with suspicion, his hand moving to the knife on his belt.

Julia bit her lip, unsure whether the change of topic was a good thing after all.

"Oh, _this_ … This is nothing. You want some coffee? Tea? Beer? Anything?"

Loki narrowed his eyes.

"No, but I appreciate your sudden outburst of hospitality. Is it the bird?" 

Julia sighed and nodded. The siren screamed again, and Loki winced.

"And what is the bird doing in your house?" He asked in a silky voice.

Julia’s shoulders tensed, but she boldly ignored his question, turning away to grab a can with cat food from the shelve. Loki frowned.

"I was talking to you." He grumbled with displeasure.

Julia opened the can with a very business-like expression on her face and headed towards the door. Loki leaned over the doorframe and folded his arms on his chest.

"I thought that we agreed to do the _clean up_..." The man drawled, resting a meaningful gaze on an open can in Julia's hands. "Having a siren as pet does not sound like clean up to me."  
"And what am I supposed to do, break her neck?!" Julia asked with irritation, resting one hand on her hip. "Her name is Hedwig, and she is staying. Don't forget that I paid for her, she is legally mine..."

The girl intended to walk past him but Loki shifted and stretched one hand across the passage, blocking her way completely. Julia raised her brows. 

"Hold on for a moment," Loki crooned. "If I remember correctly, with my kind help all the money you had paid for the bird returned to you. Isn't it true?"

The girl rolled her eyes. 

"Besides, you intend to keep a dangerous magical creature in your own house, don't you fear for the safety of your neighborhood?"  
"Well, you are dangerous as well, and yet you come over on weekly basis!" Julia huffed and ducked under his stretched hand. "I can't talk right now, it's tuna-time!"

The siren was screaming and flapping its wings, demanding the delayed meal. Julia opened the cage door and reached for the bowl, lowering her head to hide the burning cheeks. They barely touched each other as she squeezed by Loki's side through the passage, but it was enough for blush to heat her face. It started the night in the club and since then Julia felt like a stupid teenager, aroused and confused by his presence. What was worse, she could not find a good reason for this strange and intense attraction.

Julia wasn't blind. Loki was handsome - it was just as obvious as the fact that the sun shines during daytime, and there are four seasons in a year. Nevertheless, previously she had looked at him in a way a museum visitor contemplates a cold and sophisticated marble statue. It had never appeared to the girl before that the Asgardian can be attractive in a human, sexual way. And yet he was, and this sudden revelation hit her very strongly overnight. Damn, he was so attractive that Julia wondered how she still managed to keep her head straight around him. 

Loki’s posture emanated with power, even the slightest gesture he made was certain and well-measured. The Asgardian looked reserved most of the time, but the emotionless mask was a cover for a personality so ardent and passionate it was hard to believe that his element was cold ice. Caught in a swirl of vivid emotions, Loki tended to forget his habit of being distant and cold, and in a glimpse of an eye his face would get animated with rage, trouble, or joy.

In the very beginning of their acquaintance the only emotions Julia had witnessed on his face were disgust and anger. When they would accidentally lock their eyes together, she wanted to run away and hide from the piercing cold green. It was different now. The girl found it hard to define what exactly had changed between them, but she could definitely feel it. The only problem was that she could not yet decide whether the change was for the better.

After a long session of soul-searching and a bottle of red wine Julia decided that her reaction to Loki was absolutely natural. It had to happen sooner or later. All girls - especially lonely ones - get attracted to strong, handsome and confident men. From the other hand, the fact that in her case the man was an alien with a very bad temper and a power to control ice, was rather unnerving. Julia wondered if her attraction towards him would go away if Loki returned to being his normal insane self. Right now she could not even use Stockholm syndrome as an excuse for her feelings, since the Asgardian behaved almost normally around her.

It is true when they say that your job leaves a mark on you. Julia was damn good at project management, preparing contract drafts, and risk assessment. In this case her prognosis was unpromising: she could clearly say that there was not even a slightest chance for interest from Loki's side, let alone for any happy ending. _And she was completely fine with it._ Dark mysterious Princes are something teenage girls dream of, and Julia was no teenage girl.

She inhaled deeply, turned around and saw Loki still by the door. He studied the room with a displeased and puzzled expression on his face.

"Where is my armchair?" Loki asked.

 _His?_ Julia pursed her lips to hold a smile. 

"Urgent change of upholstery. Yesterday Hedwig ripped the leather with her claws. It should be ready in a week."  
"That's unfortunate." Loki voiced his opinion and after a moment of hesitation strode towards the couch. 

Taking herself a chair to sit would have been a move too pathetic and pitiful, and Julia did not do it. She lowered herself by Loki's side, wondering whether he had occupied so much space on purpose. The girl would definitely prefer to have him on the opposite side of the coffee table, in his usual place. Julia had never had a problem with touching and hugging her colleagues and friends, the idea of personal space being merely a suggestion for her. However, Loki was neither a colleague nor a friend, and they were alone in her house, and she was as usual dressed like “no decent Asgardian maid”, her skirt not covering the knees as she sat down.

Julia pressed notes to her chest and cleared her throat. Loki rested his head on the back of the couch and glanced at her from under dark eyelashes. 

"I am not sleeping." He announced, when the pause started to take too long. "If I remember well, you wanted to summarize our recent findings. I am listening."

He lazily gestured towards the pile of books prepared on the table: history textbooks from the Other Midgard the maid had requested from him, as well as her own materials to compare.

"Fine. Well, right now there are two places called Earth that we know of: the one with superheroes which is reflected on your maps as Midgard, and us - no superheroes, no magic, nothing special... till recent time. When we first spoke about the reason why you arrived here, you told me that our world appeared out of nowhere at the same time when you sensed the magical anomaly..." Loki nodded, and Julia went on. "Later it came out that we used to have contacts with Asgard in the past. This made me think that long time ago we were not separated from the rest of the Nine Realms, but used to be a part of them, maybe there had been one place called Midgard which later got split into two. The historical records confirmed my theory: since the early ages the history of my world and the other one is exactly the same. However, at some point all the events started to develop in a slightly different way: right now there are some major differences between my world and the Superhero Earth. For example, we have Slovenia and they have Latveria and Sokovia…"  
"A city falling from the sky?..." Loki recalled, glancing at the girl.  
"Exactly. Frankly speaking, it feels so strange to read the alternative history of my own world. I can’t help but think what would have happened if I had been born on the Other Earth, with Captain America and superpowers… Maybe I would be a superhero myself." Julia mused and pulled her legs up to get comfortable. She seemed to have forgotten about Loki’s presence. "Basically, superpowers are the main difference between my Earth and the other one."  
"Do we know where the differences come from?" Loki interrupted her.

Julia energetically shook her head.

"The first distinctions appear in the late eighteenth century, this is all I know."  
"And what exactly happened back then?"  
"I have absolutely no idea!" Julia helplessly threw her hands up in the air. "Eighteenth century lasts for one hundred years, every year has three hundred and sixty-five days… Anything could have happened - literally anything. It could have been an explosion, an eclipse, or a small African boy who killed a butterfly and started a tsunami… Even if we lock ourselves up for a month with the books we are very unlikely to find the event which caused the splitting of one Earth into two separate worlds. We are in a dead end here!"

The Asgardian pursed his lips. To be honest, he hoped for a more fruitful input from her side. Loki even opened his mouth to scold the Midgardian for being useless, but changed his mind. Some time ago it had become clear to him that the maid was an awful overachiever, not used to failing others and grieving over every defeat. The sincere disappointment in her posture was rather amusing, and Loki saw no point in making her feel any worse.

"I will think of something." He assured her and took from the table one of the magical arrows they had retrieved from the nightclub.  
"Careful with that!" Julia warned Loki, remembering how one small prick had knocked him out for several hours. "If you pass out on the floor you sleep on the floor. I don't see a slightest chance of me dragging you up on this couch."

Loki chuckled and took the arrow closer, studying its tip.

"Can I at least hope for a blanket?" He asked, giving Julia a quick glance.  
"I… I will think of it." She mumbled, a little abashed by a smile on the man’s face. Loki huffed.  
"I gave you dresses and you are unwilling to share a single blanket with me..." The man sighed dramatically. The arrow was levitating in the air by itself while Loki delved into his belt bag. "You are a very unkind person."  
"I am a _what?!_ " Julia squeaked, unsure whether laughing out loud would be appropriate. "Look who’s talking!"

Loki sneered and suddenly winked at her.

"I am not the one with a habit to hit strangers on the head." 

A fragile peace was somehow holding. Julia relaxed enough to push Loki’s side with her feet, slowly but steadily fighting for more space.

"Are you taking the arrows with you?" She asked, watching the Asgardian carefully put the weapons into a strange see-through container which was getting bigger, adjusting to the size of the package.  
"Yes. Take a look at the tip." Loki leaned towards her, holding the arrow by the fletching. "There are symbols carved in the wood. The arrow itself is nothing but a piece of wood with metal head, soaked in salted water. As you have witnessed before, this combination of elements blocks my magic, but with the spell carved on the surface it affected me in a very strange way."  
"The guys in the nightclub did not seem like experts on magical creatures." Julia reminded him, hugging a small decorative pillow. "I cannot imagine them sitting for hours, carving magical spells into darts."  
"Unfortunately, none of them will ever be able to talk again… This is why I need to find the one who created such weapons by myself." Loki grimaced. "You are not the only one who knows of the return of magic, and what is worse, the other person seems to be well prepared for the occasion."

Their crusade in order to contain the magical beasts and protect the peaceful lives of the Midgardians was all of a sudden getting bigger. There were other pieces of the puzzle they had accidently stumbled upon. A group of men engaged in illegal sales of magical beasts was in possession of weapons prepared by someone of incredible magical power and deep knowledge of what was going on. Another player appeared on the board, and Loki had a very bad feeling about this. 

\----------

_The summer night was quiet and peaceful, the full moon bathing the sleeping city in a glittering silver light. The maid was dressed in her tolerable knee-long skirt and a shirt with long sleeves. She kicked off the impractical unstable shoes Midgardian women loved to wear so much, and leaned over the balcony of his chamber, contemplating the scenery._

_"This place looks like a Renaissance Fair." She said and glanced at him over her shoulder. Loki frowned a little, coming closer._  
_"Does it mean that you like it, or you don't?" He asked to clarify, unsure what the Midgardian had in mind._  
_"Of course I do! Can I hope for a guided tour later?"_

_Loki smirked._

_"I will think of it. But right now, it seems that we have a very important order of business, isn’t it so?"_

_He approached Julia from behind and firmly pressed her to his body. His hands traveled up her sides and cupped the girl’s breasts._

_"Hey!" She jerked, trapped between his body and the grey stone barrier of the balcony. "I thought I’m here to discuss our research! It’s important!"_

_Deaf to her protest, Loki nuzzled Julia’s earlobe and placed a series of open mouth kisses on the back of her neck, and she gasped in delight. The girl tilted her head to a side and brushed away her hair, giving him more space for kisses._

_"There will be time for discussions later." Loki breathed out against her neck and unfastened the buttons of Julia’s blouse to slide his palm underneath the piece of clothing. "But if you insist, we can speak of important, yet boring matters first. I can tell you all about my findings if this is what you want, I wouldn't dare to disappoint a lady..."_

_The girl giggled and bent her back, pressing her rear against him. Her hand travelled up Loki’s thigh and ripped the belt. The Asgardian growled when her fingers brushed against the bulge in his pants, teasing him with a light squeeze. He turned Julia around so that she would face him and lifted her chin with his fingers._

_"What are you doing?" He purred, watching her face closely. The Midgardian bit her lip with displeasure and pulled the buckle of his belt once again. "Decent young maids do not behave like this."_

_His fingers were folding her skirt, pulling it higher up her thighs. The girl slid her palms under his tunic, and the sensation of her warm fingertips gently stroking his abdomen and chest sent chills up his spine. Loki inhaled sharply and stripped off the tunic._

_"Decent young maids do not visit Asgard without underwear..." Julia whispered and smiled at a surprised and hungry look on Loki’s face. "But you don't want just any maid, you want **me** , don't you?"_

_Julia placed her hands on his shoulders and stood on tiptoes. Loki bent forward and the girl gave him a light kiss, the merest brush of her lips upon his, teasingly innocent and yet strangely electrifying._

_"Yes, I do." Loki breathed out, cupping her face with his hands and deepening the kiss._

_He kissed her with passion and need, and the girl’s lips parted under the pressure of his mouth, letting his tongue inside. Julia responded to the kiss with the same desire, her hot tongue tangled with his own, and Loki groaned as he felt her fingers brush through his hair. He slid one hand down the maid’s neck and cupped her breast, his thumb circling the nipple. Julia inhaled sharply and broke the kiss._

_"Cold!" She whimpered with a short laugh._

_Loki smiled back, watching the maid. The Midgardian was breathing heavily, her hair a mess and the blouse unbuttoned and crumpled. She finally overpowered the buckle of his belt and slid one hand inside his pants. Loki pulled back and gave the girl a sly look._

_"I thought that you are here to speak about our research?"_

_The Midgardian sneered and slightly thrust her thighs forward, pressing her body to his._

_"I thought we both know it is not true." She breathed out and squeaked when Loki grabbed her and headed towards the bed._

_He threw the maid on the sheets face down and pinned her firmly to the bed with his own body. The girl moaned and arched her back, raising her head and turning to look at him. Loki covered her lips with his, pulling Julia's skirt up with one hand. The fact that she chose to wear nothing beneath it was driving him crazy. The girl whined when he spanked her with force, and jerked away, but Loki dug his palm into her hair and held her in place. He then kissed the maid slowly and deeply, brushing his tongue over hers and gently pulling her lower lip with his teeth. He let go of her hair and his hand slid down Julia's back. Loki stroked her hips and slid his fingers between her legs, rubbing them against her wet folds. Julia whimpered against his lips and spread her thighs wide open. The man broke the kiss and studied the girl’s face attentively, while his fingers slid inside her. Loki smirked with satisfaction as he saw the Midgardian slightly grimace and close her eyes, blush covering her cheeks while he was moving his two digits back and forth inside her, faster and deeper with every moment. Julia leaned towards him with her lips, and Loki kissed her with passion, his tongue moving inside her mouth in the same fast rhythm as his fingers._

_The girl moaned loudly and bucked up her thighs, demanding more of his touch. She arched her back and shifted a little under him, and Loki felt her warm hand brush against his stomach and slide inside his unfastened pants. He groaned as her fingers wrapped around his cock, and involuntarily thrust his hips forward, pressing the maid into the mattress. Julia yelped, immobilized by the weight of his body, and the feeling of control over her overwhelmed him. He hastily pulled down his pants, positioning himself between the maid’s parted thighs, and pushed inside her. Julia cried out and clenched her fists on the bed sheets, helpless and sprawled on her stomach. Loki bit and kissed her neck, thrusting his full length inside the maid with sharp energetic moves. He closed his eyes, giving in to the smell of her hair and hot skin and to the sounds of her moans. Julia was shuddering and breathing sharply, her face buried in the pillows, muffled whimpers and moans following every thrust of his hips. Loki tugged the girl’s earlobe with his teeth and covered her palm with his hand, intertwining his fingers with hers._

_"Am I hurting you?" He breathed out, slowing down and lifting his body from hers._

_The girl growled and arched her hips demandingly as she felt his member slide out of her._

_"No, no…" She whined, tilting her head back to look at him. "Please!"_

_Loki let out a shaky breath and caught her lips in a short kiss._

_"Please what?" He asked hoarsely, his breath puffing against her half-open lips. "Say it!"_  
_"Please, fuck me!" Julia whimpered, digging her nails into his palm and shamelessly rubbing her thighs against him, urging him to take her._

_Loki groaned and hammered into the maid, hard and fast. Her moans were growing louder with every move he made, until the girl shuddered violently and collapsed on the bed sheets. Loki kept moving, losing his mind over the sensation of her tight heat clutching and spasming around his girth. He pressed his lips over the maid’s shoulder blade and came, his cock pulsating inside her and his whole body relaxed and strangely weightless._

Loki woke up from a dream abruptly. He spent the rest of the night staring blankly in the ceiling, waiting for the dark sky behind the window to turn pink. His fantasies had changed, and he could not understand whether he liked it. The answer would rather be yes - the feeling of filth and shame was gone since he did not dream of taking the maid by force anymore. Unfortunately, the confusion remained. Even though it was only a dream, the confession that the Midgardian was the woman he desired rolled off his lips too easily - and it bothered Loki very much.

He had spotted seven brown haired maidens serving in the palace. Each of them was quiet, obedient and beautiful, moving gracefully around the halls and chambers. The girls were no commoners - it was an honor for Asgardian nobles to send their daughters to serve in the Allfather’s palace. If one of them had been courted by the young King, no one would dare voice a doubt whether the woman is a match for him. Loki even considered such possibility, but deep down he knew it just would not work. None of these fair maids had freckles on their nose nor a knee-long skirt, none of them fed a siren with canned tuna, and none of them would ever dare stand up to him and doubt his words and orders. None of them had what he craved, although Loki could not yet define what exactly all of these maidens were missing. 

As hard as it was to acknowledge the uncomfortable truth, the Midgardian did not end up in his fantasies by accident. She had come to his dreams to stay.

The days were drowsy and slow. Heat was flowing through tall windows, filling the cool chambers of the royal palace with the smell of honey and grass. It was mid-summer, the tiring week of King’s Justice was over, and the busy season of gathering crops was yet to come.

As usual, Loki was spending the evenings in his chamber. He surrounded himself with books and carefully placed the magical arrows on the table. The ornament carved in the wood was clearly some kind of a spell. Loki searched for days for anything resembling the symbols, but they were not similar to any of the languages spoken in the Realms of the living. A tingling sensation of approaching danger was creeping up his back. Loki sighed and rubbed his tired eyes, with a wave of a hand dimming the ceiling lights.

The door suddenly slammed open.

"Loki!" A loud voice rang in the spacious chamber. Loki raised his head from the book and winced at the sight of a tall figure approaching him from the door.  
"Thor." He greeted his half-brother with a short nod. "I didn't know you will be visiting."

Thor stopped in front of him and crossed arms on his chest. He looked displeased and very concerned.

"Heimdall informed me that you had a visitor some time ago. A female." The man rumbled.

Loki frowned and put away the arrow. Heimdall _informed_ him - well, of course he would do that. Even after Thor had declared in front of the Council of Elders that his wish to renounce the throne shall remain forever unchanged…

"Is a female guest in my chambers a reason why you are here?" Loki asked mockingly. Thor’s face stiffened even more, and his shoulders tensed up.  
"No. Heimdall claims that you arrived with her out of nowhere, and the next day you disappeared exactly the same way, as if you both ceased to exist. And it was not the first time when you hide from his eyes behind the veil even the All-seeing One is unable to penetrate. Heimdall says the woman is a human, and yet he had never seen her walk the soil of Midgard. Is she a witch whose magic covers you from his eyes? What is going on? What are you plotting, Loki?!"  
"I assure you that I..."

Loki ceased to speak abruptly as he glanced at Thor’s face - eyes glimmering with fury and lips pursed into a thin line. Loki groaned, resting elbows on the desk and rubbing his face. He was exhausted and puzzled, he hadn't slept well since the Midgardian had come to his dreams, pulling him into the dark void; he was in a dead end with the strange runic-like carvings on arrows in a language he had never come across before. And he could keep assuring Thor all he wanted - his half-brother had absolutely no reason to believe him. And Loki suddenly started talking, nervously and hastily, telling Thor the part of the story he hadn't shared before. Loki spoke of the strange vibrations of Yggdrasil branches he felt one day, and a passage to the hidden Tenth Realm opening all of a sudden. Thor listened with disbelief and a stubborn frown crossing his forehead. Understanding lit up his face when a see-through map of the Nine Realms appeared in the air, with the tenth swirling sphere not in the line with others. Thor finally sat down when Loki briefly summarised the events of the unblessed winter evening when he went to hunt the first creature which was going to open the passage to the land of the dead with a child sacrifice. Loki would never acknowledge it aloud, but taking his half-brother through a tangled mess his life had been for the last half a year brought him unexpected relief. It could have taken an hour, maybe longer. Finally he ceased to speak and gave Thor an expectant and irritated look. 

"So, you have been taken prisoner by a Midgardian maid, who let you go in exchange for year-long service?" Thor spoke slowly.

Loki winced at the summary.

"More or less." He acknowledged.

Thor tilted his head back and laughed out loud.

"Is this funny for you?" Loki hissed, crossing hands on his chest and rocking back on the heavy wooden chair.  
"Yes!" Thor cried out and slammed the tabletop, shaking his head and pursing his lips to hold the laughs. He gave his brother a sly look. "In the events of the upcoming Ragnarok my heart was filled with dread because I suspected you of treachery. I am relieved now, brother. Among all the unbelievable events you have shared with me this is the most incredible one. And this maiden is still alive, isn't she?"  
"Indeed, she is." Loki acknowledged with reluctance. "She set the rules I must follow, and I get burnt every time I try to cause her harm. Unfortunately, I haven't yet thought of a way to trick the spell binding us together, but I will sooner or later. Then she might not be alive anymore."

Thor nodded, accepting the response. And then he pushed away several sheets of paper with Loki's scribbles, uncovering a pile of books, clearly of non-Asgardian origin.

"Project Management in Controlled Environments, Best Practices of Team Management, The Fellowship of The Ring..." Thor read aloud, studying bright covers.  
" _What?_ " Loki grunted, losing patience under his brother’s meaningful look.  
"No, nothing at all. I just can't wait to meet this brave soul in person."

Loki shook his head, standing up. 

"This is unlikely to happen. And I hope you understand that nothing of what I told you shall leave the confines of this chamber. If the Council learns about the existence of the new Realm we shall waste time on long discussions whether to establish relations or not, and in the events of the upcoming Ragnarok it should be considered the least of all priorities..." Loki waited for an affirmative nod. "Good. If you are leaving already I can accompany you to the Bifrost."

Thor hesitated.

"I was not planning to leave yet. In fact, I was heading to a tavern and I hoped that you would keep me company, brother."

Loki decisively shook his head.

"Not tonight. I…" He was stopped by a heavy hand on his shoulder.  
"Enough of this." Thor spoke shortly with trouble in his eyes. "Every time I arrive to Asgard you keep avoiding me as if we were enemies. I know there are things and people who will never return - but I forgave you long time ago, the Allfather will forgive you, and... mother would have forgiven you. It is time you stop blaming yourself as well."

Loki bared his teeth in anger, thinking of a fitting response. He did not need forgiveness, he never asked for it, it was time for Thor to grow up and understand the complexity of the world. 

"I am no halfwit and I know there is no turning back to what had once been. But you are the only family I have left, brother." Thor finished quietly.

He could have reminded Thor that they are not family, but something stopped him from telling his half-brother off. Loki suddenly pictured a stubborn brown-haired maid saying that hurting others does not make her feel good, so proud of being different from him. 

_Maybe they are not so different after all?_

"Which tavern?" Loki asked with a sigh, and a wide smile lit up Thor’s face.

Loki promised to himself that it would not take long, but after three pints in the first tavern they went to the one across the street, and then to another one. Maybe there was no turning back to what had once been, but there is always hope for something good in the days yet to come. Thor’s loud cheerful voice was filling the inn, and Loki registered with surprise that he was laughing and smiling as well, and when the blond giant slammed his cup on the table and stroke up a song, Loki even sang along - just a little bit.

They headed back to the palace in the morning dusk, when the sky was turning grayish pink.

If Loki had returned to his chamber a minute earlier, he would have witnessed a figure dressed in a cloak, walking out of the chamber with the magical arrows he had left on the desk so carelessly. But the mysterious visitor remained unnoticed.


	17. One Hell of a Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All boys like cool cars ^_^ and Loki is not the only one with a wild imagination ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear All,  
> I apologize for a delay. This chapter took me some time to write - but I hope you will not be left disappointed ;) I am preparing the ground for a major conspiracy in Asgard and further development of the characters' relation.

Julia woke up to a loud thud. The bedroom was dark, the clock on the nightstand showing four A.M. The girl rubbed her face, wondering if the sound was a dream, when something rumbled downstairs again. She gasped, her heart beating frantically, and looked around the room in search of anything sharp or heavy. Julia cautiously lowered her feet on the floor and reached for the phone. She tiptoed towards the open door of her bedroom, counting the beeps. From here the girl could see the dark staircase leading downstairs, to the living room.

“European emergency number, please state your name and emergency.” A plain woman's voice uttered on the phone. Julia jerked at the sound of it, unexpectedly loud in the quiet dark house.  
“There is someone in my house downstairs!” The girl breathed out in a shaky voice. Did she leave the garage door open? She could not hear a single sound from the living room now. Maybe the burglar heard her. What if he will be coming upstairs? Julia whimpered in fear and pressed a hand to her mouth.  
“What is your name, Ma’am? Please confirm your address.” The parquet downstairs screeched. “Ma’am?”

Something fell on the floor, and Julia heard an explosive sound of broken glass, followed by a familiar impatient growl.

_At four A.M.?!_

“I...I’m sorry, wrong number.” Julia dropped the call and finally dared to breathe. “Loki?”

She hastily pulled her jeans on and ran down the stairs, carrying a heavy vase in her hand just in case. In the twilight Julia discerned that some shelves in the living room were completely empty; there were books on the floor and shards of broken glass by the coffee table. A dark figure was towering over the mess.

“What the…”  
“Magical arrows from the nightclub. Where?” Loki inquired shortly. Julia hit the lights and squinted, covering her eyes.  
“What do you mean - where?” She mumbled. The living room smelled like a wine cellar.  
“I mean that I need more of them. There must be some left. Where?” The Asgardian spat out impatiently.  
“I don't have any... You took all of them away the last time,” the girl blinked several times, getting used to the bright light of the lamp. “What happened?”

Loki looked at a heavy porcelain vase Julia was clutching in her hand, and narrowed his eyes. 

“Am I scaring you?” He snapped with irritation.

Julia frowned and put the vase on a tall shelf by the door. 

“No,” she replied in a disapproving tone, crossing hands on her chest. “But I have to admit that you are making me very nervous right now. You storm into my living room at four in the morning on weekend, drunk and angry. You almost gave me a heart attack. It is not my favourite way to start a day.”

Loki groaned and brushed his fingers through the hair.

“Someone stole the arrows from my chambers.” He explained. “I went out for a night with my step-brother, and when I came back there was not a single one left. I always secure the entrance with a spell, but this time I got a little… distracted.”

Apparently there were no security cameras in Asgardian palace.

“You didn't catch the thief?” Julia asked, even though the answer was obvious.

Loki shook his head.

“I suppose the thief was no commoner, because he seemed to know well where my rooms are. Not so many nobles have access to the upper level of the palace. And he surely was no sorcerer because there was not a sign of magic.”  
“Oh…” Julia bit her lip, understanding of the situation hitting her like a hammer, and nervously clenched her hands together. “Oh, fuck…”  
“I couldn't say it better.” The Asgardian snapped in a tired voice and heavily sat on the couch, burying his face in the palms.

The girl bit her lip, watching Loki with wary eyes. Someone in his kingdom knew of his _additional activities_ here with her. Someone in his kingdom now had a weapon which could bring Loki down, would there be such need. Someone in his kingdom did not want him to find out, where the spell on the arrows had come from.

She could have suggested Loki to look at the bright side, but there was none, and Julia was well aware of that. So she did the only thing which seemed right in this situation.

“Do you eat breakfast food? I mean… human food?” She asked, heading for the kitchen and hitting the lights. For a moment there was silence, but then the girl heard quiet steps and the Asgardian emerged from the living room.  
“Why?” Loki leaned over the doorframe and rubbed the bridge of his nose. In the bright light Julia noticed how tired he looked, his hair tangled and dark shadows under red eyes.  
“Because it's unlikely that I will fall asleep again, so it's breakfast time. And I need to know if you eat normal food, because I don't recall having any blood of Midgardian babies in my fridge.” Julia stopped with two cups in her hands and gave Loki an expectant look.  
“Normal food will be fine,” he answered slowly with a slightly abashed look on his face.  
“Fantastic.” The girl studied Loki for a moment and then decisively reached for orange juice into the fridge. “Actually, it is good that we start early today. We have places to go and much to talk about.”

Loki stood by the door and watched her move around the kitchen, from the fridge to the table, and then to the drawer for jam and toast bread. Hot coffee was pouring from the nozzles into two cups.

“You have one hell of a Game of Thrones there,” Julia threw plates and cutlery on the kitchen table and made a welcoming gesture. Loki shifted on his feet awkwardly. Watching the maid prepare a quick breakfast for both of them was peculiar, as well as sharing a meal with someone who was not a head of diplomatic mission or a royal guest of equal importance.  
“You don't think that your brother lured you out for a drink in order to steal evidence, do you?” Julia cocked her head to a side, taking his concerned expression and hesitation as a sign of further thinking over the situation.

Loki gave a short bitter laugh and finally pulled out the chair to sit down by the opposite side of the table.

“No, I do not suspect Thor of any misdeed. He is a truthful kind-hearted oaf. It is not him who is responsible for the conspiracy in my palace.”

Julia snorted over a cup of coffee. Loki cocked a brow, spreading jam over a slice of toasted bread.

“What?” He asked absently.  
“Nothing, I just… Turns out that you are one hell of a party animal, and I thought you don't have fun at all.”  
“I cannot drink blood of Midgardian babies all the time." Loki huffed. "Sometimes even I need a break.”  
“So, in Asgard you do pub hunting for fun? That's just like us.” Julia squinted in the rising sun shining through the kitchen windows.  
“Not _like you._ ” Loki's mouth twitched a bit at her comparison. “In Asgard we usually have fun in less primitive ways that your folk. For instance, there is hunting, grand feasts with singing and dancing and amiable conversations, reading books…”

Julia rolled her eyes. Nothing of what Loki has mentioned could fit the definition of fun for the sake of fun, with no second purpose such as establishing political alliances or gaining knowledge. She tried to picture Loki on a beach with a palm drink, but failed. Maybe kings are not supposed to engage in pointless activities.

“You said we have places to go,” Loki reminded her when there was almost no toast bread left.  
“Right. We are heading for Greece. There is panic growing at the island of Crete, caused by a minotaur running loose.”

Julia pushed a pile of papers across the table. Loki quickly glanced at a picture of three bodies sprawled on the ground, intentionally blurred in order to cover the blood and smashed heads. 

“A minotaur? You seem certain about that.”

Julia grimaced slightly and bit her toast, absently realizing that the sight of blood and dead bodies did not shock her as much as it had at the beginning of their adventures. 

“I surely am. All eyewitnesses speak of a Devil with horns, and there is only one beast in Greece which has a human body and a bull’s head.” 

The man nodded, accepting her point. 

“What is your suggestion?” Loki asked and hesitated, choosing between raspberry and apricot jam.  
“We visit Crete,” the girl shrugged. “The minotaur is seen almost every night within the confines of the Sitia old town. He repeats the same route over and over again, so there will not be a problem with finding him.”  
“A place to stay?...”

Julia smirked and threw over the table a printout with a hotel review.

“Take a look and share your feedback.”

Loki studied the photos of the hotel, read the description and pursed his lips.

“No.”  
“Why not?” Julia yawned. The morning sun was filling the kitchen with golden and pink.  
“Because it is not a hotel, but a shack,” the Asgardian replied with pity, making Julia feel like a low-life peasant. “Is there anything with an... appropriate level of accommodation?”  
“You mean five-star? Yes, but the prices are inappropriate,” Julia huffed. “It’s mid-summer, which means holiday season and tourists flooding the island. The one you called a shack is a decent three-star; not the best one but I cannot afford anything else right now. I have a credit to pay, my car is officially dead and I need to start saving up for a new one because no mechanic can revive my poor baby…”

Loki leaned back in the chair and bit his lip, studying the girl with attention.

“I suggest you a deal,” he finally said, steepling his fingers. “From now on I shall be the one to choose and secure the place of our accommodation.”  
Julia shook her head. “I'm not catching up,” she said. “Do you mean that you are willing to pay for the hotel rooms?!”

With surprise she watched Loki nod.

“I fail to see any deal here,” Julia replied with caution, trying to think of a polite way to reject an unexpected offer. “I am very flattered by such generous offer of... sponsorship, but I have to decline…”

Loki rolled his eyes and stopped her with a masterful move of his hand. 

“Let me finish first. I offer you a fair trade.” The Asgardian said. “You are in possession of one thing I wish to claim mine. I shall take it, and in exchange you shall follow me to the place I choose for both of us to stay, this time and every time in future.” 

Julia swallowed nervously. 

“What is it that you want?” She asked.

Loki narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, lowering his voice to conspiratorial whisper. “Your coffee-making device.”

Julia giggled and stared at him in wonder. She realized that it was not a fair deal - not even close; and she also knew that Loki himself was well aware of that. The girl could say no - it actually would be appropriate and wise - but she hesitated. They have passed a long way from hating each other deeply and passionately to a strange kind of partnership with short peaceful moments, such as a breakfast at four A.M. together. Loki offering her something nice instead of threatening with torture was suspicious and unusual, and Julia considered her possibilities. If she accepted the offer, the Asgardian would gain a coffee machine and financial responsibility for their expeditions, which would clearly mean loss of control for her. If she declined, the consequences would most probably include a storm of cold rage and a huge step back from the fragile peace which took them half a year to reach. Loki was obviously too proud to take “no” for an answer.

So she did the only thing which seemed right in this situation. Julia agreed to a deal and generously threw in a pack of medium roast coffee beans to welcome Loki to the club of coffee machine owners.

\----------

“Are you aware that golden coins are not a valid currency here?” Julia asked casually. Loki smirked and strode into the spacious lift cabin, giving a benevolent nod to the doorman. The elevator softly whirred, taking them to the very top of the building.

There were only two rooms on the top floor: her and Loki's, doors of ash grey on opposite sides of a spacious lobby. The presidential suite was enormous, with full-wall windows and heavy furniture of white oak. Julia peeked into a bathroom with a huge jacuzzi, studied the impressive minibar and decided to start with a whiskey. It felt like an unexpected holiday. Maybe Loki choosing the accommodation was not such a bad idea after all.

Loki walked inside without waiting for her to answer his knock, greeting the girl with a short nod. He approached her, placing soundless steps on the carpet. With bare feet and sleeves of his tunic rolled up, the Asgardian looked relaxed and benign. He fit well into the luxurious interior of the apartment.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought that a valiant Asgardian warrior can sustain the heat and the cold,” Julia smirked, watching him stretch his back.  
“The fact that I can does not mean that I have to,” Loki chuckled. “If I can sleep in a soft comfortable bed, why would I choose solid cold ground instead?”

Indeed, the logic was difficult to argue with. Julia smiled, contemplating the peaceful blue sea, and noticed that the man stopped behind her, no more than a step separating them. With surprise she registered that this fact did not bother her at all. 

“This land is almost melting under the sun. How do these people survive?” Loki mused, looking down at the busy marina below them.  
Julia smiled carelessly and turned away from the window. “I think they just add more ice to their drinks.”  
“Speaking of drinks,” Loki eyed the small bottle in Julia's hands with disapproval. “For a maid of your size you drink too much.”

The girl blinked a couple of times. 

“Oh,” she breathed out in a confused manner. “I… I don't drink much.”

Loki shook his head.

“I have come to notice that you do, almost every time I see you.”  
“My life is very stressful.” Julia replied with a shrug. “A drink helps me relax a little. Besides, there must be a balance in life. I workout and eat salad, so adding some whiskey or wine to a diet wouldn't do me a wrong.”

She saw the man purse his lips. 

“A very philosophic approach.” Loki drawled. “And yet you make me repeat myself: for a maid your size you consume too much alcohol.”  
“I heard you pretty clearly the first time.” The girl huffed with irritation, unsure whether to take their conversation seriously. “By the way, why did you decide to teach me life all of a sudden?”  
“If I recall correctly, sharing information was part of our deal.” Loki narrowed his eyes. “And I am sharing with you my concern related to your constant state of intoxication.”  
“Well, in this case thank you for voicing your concerns,” Julia smiled politely and twisted off the cap. “Your opinion is very important to us, please stay on the line…”  
“You do not seem to understand what I said,” Loki uttered in a slightly menacing tone, his voice deceptively calm. “You shall put this bottle down and reduce the amounts of alcohol you consume.”  
“Oh, really?!” Julia laughed uneasily and walked towards the counter to pour herself a glassful of whiskey. 

Loki tossed his head. 

“Yes.” He said. “When you are drunk you become an unbearable nuisance: you do not think of what you do nor what you say, and there is a risk that your actions will peril the outcome of our… venture. This is why you shall do it no more.”

The girl lowered a glass and placed hands on her hips, locking an irritated gaze on Loki.

“I get a very strange feeling when scolded by a Princess Elsa with so many problems that Freud would kill for a five minute talk in private.” Julia huffed. “Please remember that I am rather tolerant to your... issues, don't you think that you should treat me the same way?”  
“No,” Loki responded, his eyes turning darker with anger. “It seems that I made my point clear. You shall follow my word, and if you don't I will make you behave properly.”

It was happening again. A nice episode of their partnership lasted merely two days.

“Hell, no…” Julia shook her head. “You won't be telling me what to do. It is humiliating and disrespectful…” 

The girl squeaked in surprise as the liquid in her glass froze to solid ice. Loki frowned and walked closer to her. He took the glass from her hand and Julia obediently let go of it, abashed by a strict look on the man's face.

“Silence! If you behave like an unwise little child, I will have to treat you like one.” He growled, and the girl backed off. “You will stay in your room as punishment. Tomorrow we can continue this discussion, will there be such need.”

Julia frowned.

“What do you mean - tomorrow!?”  
“I mean that you will stay here alone till morning and rethink your habits while I take a walk around the city. I heard of an interesting concept called lap dance… it might be the right time to embrace some aspects of Midgardian culture.”

Loki saw her face twitch as he spoke. The girl clenched her fists.

“I am not a five-year old!” Julia cried out in anger and disbelief. “This is not how partnership works! You can't ground me in a room or… or spank me when something is not to your liking!”  
“Of course I can,” Loki laughed shortly with irritation. “Do not forget that equality is an artificial concept the weak ones had made up. The strongest one always has a final word. It means that I can do whatever pleases me.”

He watched her blush swiftly with anger and embarrassment, dark red flooding her cheeks and collarbones.

“You are a fucking tyrant! You are a walking bunch of issues yourself, and you think you can teach me life? I am not a low-life alcoholic, I drink sometimes because my life is difficult, because _you_ are difficult, and I do not drink much at all…” Julia spoke fast, her voice changing to pathetic squeak and face hot despite the steady hum of air-conditioning. “If you lock me in here I will call the police!”

Loki cocked a brow. 

“You can try,” he said coldly. “Have a lovely night, Julia.”

She remained silent as he walked towards the exit, apparently too shocked and confused to stand up to him. Only when the door closed behind his back and the lock clicked by itself, Loki heard a loud growl and something hit the door from the inside - probably the glass full of frozen whiskey.

Julia clenched her shaky hands together and stared at the closed door in disbelief. He did lock her up. _Fucking bastard._ It was unacceptable and humiliating, and hilarious at the same time, Loki being a man of his word all of a sudden. All bottles in the minibar were frozen, her cell phone was nowhere to be found, and the phone on the nightstand did not work. The girl looked around the room, feverishly thinking if room service would come and unlock the door if she opened all taps and flooded the suite, but then sat down on the king-size bed and sighed. However barbaric and authoritarian was Loki's way to point out her progressing and unhealthy interest in high percentage drinks, Julia had to admit that he had a point.

She was Polish, and Polish people drink. It was a well known stereotype and she had a moral obligation to support it. Besides, since Christmas her life had become a dangerous mixture of Supernatural-style monster hunt and theology for beginners. Alcohol did not solve her problems, but with a reasonable amount of it the swirl of uncontrollable insanity did not scare her that much. From the other hand, within the last few months evening drinks became a rule rather than exception, and it was time to break the habit.

Staring mindlessly at the TV screen, Julia realized that there was one more thing bothering her besides the ache of wounded pride. The fact that Loki departed to savour the nightlife of the Greek Sitia alone was causing her a strange feeling of disappointment and childish offence she could not explain. 

\-----------

_“I am not a five-year old!” Julia cried out in anger and disbelief. “This is not how partnership works! You can't ground me in a room or… or spank me when something is not to your liking!”_  
_“Of course I can,” Loki laughed shortly with irritation. “Do not forget that equality is an artificial concept the weak ones had made up. The strongest one always has a final word. It means that I can do whatever pleases me.”_

_Julia swallowed. They still stood very close to each other, and a thought of what Loki might find pleasing suddenly hit her in the head, causing a wave of heat to rise to her face. He surely noticed how embarrassed she was - it was actually very hard not to notice the crimson red of her cheeks - and bit his lower lip, studying the girl's face._

_“And I must confess that I like the idea of spanking you very much,” Loki breathed out and his fingertips traced the line of Julia's collarbone._

_She could not say who was the first to take a step forward, maybe her or maybe Loki, but within a glimpse of an eye she was locked in his embrace. Loki's mouth covered hers and Julia moaned into his lips, kissing him back with fervor and crumpling his tunic in her fingers to pull him closer. The kiss was hungry and rough, and it could hardly be called a kiss, their tongues tangled and teeth clashing together. Julia let out a muffled yelp when Loki bit her and sharply pulled his hair, making the man groan._

_They pulled back to catch a breath, staring at each other with anger and confusion. Loki loudly sucked in the air, his hands clutched on her shoulders and eyes sparkling feverishly. Julia shivered with an intense sensation of heat in her lower stomach. Her heart was pounding like crazy and a million thoughts were flying over her head. She could still back off now, she could break away from his grip and stop this madness which suddenly overwhelmed them. But she did not do it._

_Julia brushed her fingers down Loki’s chest, feeling his fast heartbeat under her palms. The man shuddered and tensed up, but then his grip on her shoulders loosened and he wrapped his arms around her, drawing the girl closer. This time the kiss was passionate, but slow, both of them savouring the taste of each other’s lips and studying each other. Julia obediently raised her hands when Loki pulled her shirt up, and then she tugged his tunic, urging the man to strip off as well._

_“How do I get rid of this thing?” Loki growled, impatiently ripping the strap of her bra._  
_“There’s a hook on the back,” Julia giggled against his neck and placed a hungry lick upon his collarbone, trailing her lips down his chest. She felt Loki’s muscles tighten as she circled his nipple with her tongue._

_The man’s palms stroked her breasts and then slid down her sides, and Julia shivered slightly at the sensation of his cool fingertips upon her skin when he pulled down her shorts and underwear. Loki lifted her effortlessly onto the wide wooden desk. Now their faces were on the same level, and the girl leaned forward to catch his lips in a short kiss while her hands trailed down his stomach._

_“Can’t you just make it all disappear?” She whimpered peevishly, fighting with his belt and the unusual lacing of the pants._  
_“You make me wish that I could,” Loki breathed out and groaned as Julia finally pushed down his clothes and wrapped her fingers around his erection. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers, slightly rocking his thighs forward as Julia moved her hand along his length._

_Loki bit his lip as she slowly rubbed her thumb around the tip of his cock, and then covered her hand with his, making Julia stop. He pulled the girl closer to the edge of the table and spread her thighs wide open. Julia cried out softly when she felt his full length slide inside her, and wrapped her legs around his waist._

_“Oh, God!” She clutched onto his shoulders, feeling waves of heat sweep all over her as he moved, her heart pounding low in the stomach._  
_“I prefer when you call me by the name,” Loki chuckled against her neck, and the girl felt his voice vibrate in his chest pressed to hers._

_The Asgardian brushed his fingers through her hair and Julia trustingly tilted her head back, arching her back and pressing herself against his body._

_“Loki,” the girl whimpered, melting under his demanding and searing kisses on her neck and breast. She buried her fingers in the man’s hair, tugging it, and gasped when Loki bit her nipple._

_The thrusts of his hips suddenly became slower, and Julia blinked without understanding, focusing her eyes on his face and on the room around them. She was at the verge of climax, and Loki could see and feel it, but with a smirk he ceased to move completely and took a tiny step away from her, slightly pulling his member out. The girl whimpered and leaned forward, trying to catch his lips in a kiss._

_”What is it, Julia?” Loki breathed out hoarsely, looking her in the eyes. “Do you want something?”_

_Her head was clouded with desire._

_“I… I want you!” Julia begged, clutching to his shoulders and losing her mind. “I want to come!”_

_Loki laughed shortly and brushed his fingers down her breast and stomach. Julia let out a shaky breath when he touched her clit, but the sensation was gone at once when the man took his hand away._

_“You have been bad today. You argue with me, you don't listen.” Loki drawled. “Naughty girls do not deserve to come.”_  
_“I won't argue...” Julia whined and arched her back. “I’ll be good! Please!”_

_The man closed his eyes and groaned when he felt her hips move._

_“And why should I believe you?” He panted, cupping the girl’s face, and his thumb lightly traced the outline of her lips. Julia was almost crying - and obviously losing in their strange game of making a point._

_The girl looked him in the eyes and slightly leaned forward. She caught his thumb between her teeth, gently biting and sucking it. Her tongue circled Loki’s fingertip, hot against his cool skin. The man’s eyes were locked on her face, his pupils turning dark red as he watched her close her lips tightly around his finger and dip her head to take it deeper into her mouth. Loki was breathing heavily, his whole body slightly trembling. Julia beggingly rocked her hips forward once more, against his erection pulsating inside her, and the Asgardian gave in. He roared and grabbed her waist, pulling the girl closer. The man thrust his thighs forward, pushing inside her fast and deep. His lips covered Julia’s mouth in a hungry, rough kiss. Loki pressed her to his body with such force that his grip was almost painful, and at the same time being caged in his embrace felt so right and comforting that Julia wished he would never let her go. The girl moaned and clutched his shoulders, leaning to him even closer. Julia felt her head spin with the approaching orgasm and gasped at the sensation of Loki’s fingers against her clit, rubbing the tender flesh with light circular movements. She looked at him with her eyes wide open and then cried out, squirming in his arms and digging her nails into his back. The orgasm was so intense that Julia almost passed out, melting against Loki’s chest and feeling his light kisses upon her lips, face and neck._

The lock on her door clicked open at nine A.M. sharp, waking the girl up. Julia pressed a pillow to her face and groaned. The remains of sanity she had been clinging to were lost this night. As a reasonable girl she could say, that there was nothing attractive and arousing about Loki imposing his will on others. Apparently, deep down she thought otherwise. Julia felt confused, stupid and extremely angry with herself, with Loki and - why stop there - with the whole world. So she did the only thing which seemed right in this situation: she hit the gym.

Julia entered a huge empty hall in the basement and marched towards a long row of treadmills. Running herself to death always helped to sort the thoughts out. It took Julia about half an hour to calm down and the next twenty minutes to stop thinking over impossible scenarios of her future interactions with the Asgardian. Loki was not one of those bad boys mothers warn young girls about, but a thousand times worse. No matter how handsome, it did not change the fact that he was a bad-tempered chauvinist pig who locked her up in a hotel room. Julia honestly felt sorry for his future wife and for all women of Asgard if such attitude was a common practice there. Luckily, she was not an Asgardian woman, and she was not going to tolerate tyranny from Loki - no matter the looks. 

The girl looked around the gym and almost tripped, when she saw Loki leaning over the doorframe and watching her with interest. She puffed angrily, turning away from him and focusing on the small screen with statistics in front of her. The man did not look like he had been enjoying himself the night before, and it made Julia feel a little less furious. Maybe the stripper had been ugly and old.

In a couple more minutes Julia felt like she was about to faint. The girl slammed the red button and the treadmill stopped abruptly. She leaned forward, panting heavily and feeling the sweat run down her face and back. Loki was still there. Julia brushed her hair away and decisively walked towards the door, stubbornly staring at an ornate buckle on his chest. The girl saw his lips twitch as she stopped in front of him.

“You have twenty minutes for shower and breakfast. Later, we leave.” Loki informed her shortly and moved aside to let her pass.

\----------

It had been going on like this since morning. They took a look at the crime scene, they caught the acid-yellow trail of the creature, they - _mostly Loki_ \- interrogated the owner of a twenty-four hour shop at the corner who had seen an enormous figure with horns on its head, the night too dark to notice any significant details. The Midgardian was doing nothing which was completely unlike her: she stood by his side, staring absently at the buildings around and yellowish bushy shrubs. The pavement was melting in the midday heat, the air was so hot and dry that a single spark would be enough to start a fire. Loki kept glancing at the maid as they walked back to the hotel, looking away every time she could catch his gaze. It didn't feel right. The Midgardian had always been emotional but this time he could sense the waves of fury spreading from her, hot and dark. With a stubborn frown on her face and tense shoulders, the maid was marching forward, and she did not look at him a single time. Not that it was important to him.

Loki did not feel guilty because of what he had done. The Midgardian made him follow her around the world like a hound on a leash, hunting down beasts willing to bring chaos and unrest into the peaceful lives of her folk. She could not expect him to tolerate the fact that she embarked on their journeys in constant state of intoxication. It was unwise and risky, and Loki came to notice that drinks were making her too bold, their talks turning into heated discussions over topics he would prefer to avoid. If their contract really was a partnership, Loki had every reason to voice his concerns and take action, and the maid had no right to be offended.

Apparently, she thought otherwise. The girl looked at him with the corner of her eye and growled quietly. They reached the cool lobby of the hotel, and the Midgardian turned away from him, heading towards the elevator. 

“Where do you think you're going?” Loki hissed at her back. The stubborn maid did not stop, let alone slow down. The Asgardian followed her between cozy soft couches and small palm trees in clay pots, feeling vexation and anger rise within him. She had been furious, she had been sad and disappointed with his actions and acrid remarks, but she had never ignored him before. And Loki did not like being ignored at all. Julia pressed the elevator button several times in a row, glaring impatiently at the floor indicator. 

“I was talking to you,” Loki growled, trying to stifle the frustration growing within him. There was no response again, and he clenched his fists, watching the Midgardian walk into the elevator. “Did you turn deaf?!”

The girl’s face twitched as he followed her into the cabin, and for a short moment it seemed like she was going to run out, but she did not. The doors closed, and with a quiet “swoosh” the elevator started to move up.

Loki slammed the red “stop” button when they reached the seventh floor. The cabin stopped abruptly, and the maid grabbed a chrome handrail to stand straight. She finally looked up at Loki, her eyes filled with fear.

“Do we have a problem?” He hissed, locking his hands behind his back. Both the maid and her reflection in the mirror on the cabin wall were pale and scared.  
“Yes, we do,” Julia spat out. “You broke a fucking elevator! This is our problem.”

She straightened her back and folded her arms on the chest, and there was so much fury and scorn in her eyes that Loki almost felt guilty. He laughed shortly and shook his head.

“No, this is not what I had in mind,” he said, and from the look on her face he could swear that she knew what it was all about. “Speak. You look like you have something to say.”

The girl cocked a brow, and her gaze became cold.

“I would speak if I wanted to,” she hissed. “But I don’t. I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to talk to you, I want you to be as far away from me as possible. Isn’t it clear?!”

Loki frowned. He was sure that the maid was not the only person to wish of it, but for the first time it did not feel fine. 

‘You are angry with me.” He stated, and the girl looked up at him, her eyes twinkling with rage and tears.  
“Does it come as a surprise to you?!” Julia cried out. “You lock me up in a hotel room, you scold me like a child, you make me feel miserable - and you wonder why I am angry?! I’m angry because you think it is fine to make me feel weak; because what you did was not voicing a concern but forcing your will upon me! You know what normal people do when they disagree upon something? They have a _conversation_. And just so you know, I am well aware that I have a problem, and I will try to do something about it! You want to know why I drink? Because life is complex and scary as hell; because every time I think of buying myself a new dress I remember that in six months I will die, and the new dress is of no use to me! And then there is you and I… I just don't know!”

The lights on the ceiling blinked a couple of times, and the elevator resumed to move, smoothly taking them up. The Midgardian sniffled and turned away, which made Loki understand that the talk was over. None of them spoke again; both closed the doors of their rooms in complete silence. 

\----------

At exactly nine in the evening Julia and Loki met in the spacious hall separating their suites. Loki bared his teeth at the girl and tossed at her a small crystal sphere with some turning shining gears inside. Julia caught it instinctively.

“What is it?” She asked, studying the ball.  
“A bomb,” Loki grinned at her and pressed the elevator button. The girl gasped and stretched out her hands, trying to hold the sphere as far away from her as possible.  
“What… Take it away!” She yelped, giving him a shocked and helpless look. “Why do you keep a bomb in a hotel room?!”  
“I have to kill the creature somehow,” Loki shrugged, contemplating the scared girl with satisfaction and amusement. “You can keep it for now in your purse.”  
“No way! Take it!” Julia stepped towards him, but Loki laughed shortly and wickedly and hid his hands behind his back. “You threw a bomb at me!”

That was obviously a revenge for ignoring him during the day. From the fact that Loki carelessly strode into the elevator with her Julia could tell that the bomb was most probably not loaded at all.

“Childish idiot,” she hissed quietly, hiding the object in a small messenger bag. 

As it turned out, the nightlife in the town was completely dead due to the recent events. The reason for Loki's disappointment must have been not an ugly stripper, but no stripper at all, and Julia smiled wickedly. Not a single restaurant or nightclub was luring tourists with open doors, not a single person was strolling along the narrow streets of the old historic town, everyone too scared of a series of strange and cruel murders.

The fact that the minotaur was doing his walk the same way every night was odd, but explicable. The creature used to live in a labyrinth built in order to keep it from causing harm to the people on the island. The legend lived till present day, though the ruins of the ancient labyrinth had never been found. It was possible that the stoney ravel of Sitia narrow streets was located exactly in the same place where the labyrinth had been, and the creature would patrol the confines of its stoney prison from thousands of years before.

They had nothing left to do but wait until the minotaur appears. Julia leaned over a low stoney wall, still warm after the heat of the day. The small square with a fountain was completely empty, two restaurants and a gift shop closed despite the early hour. The girl shivered and hugged herself, feeling uneasy in Loki’s company and in the dreadful silence. The man was walking round the fountain submerged in thoughts. Julia counted twelve laps when he suddenly approached her with a decisive look on his face.

“I shall lock you up no more, if this is what you want.” The Asgardian rumbled with displeasure.

It seemed like these words did not come easy to him. Julia let out a short nervous laugh. 

“It is so sweet of you!” She exclaimed mockingly, and Loki clenched his jaw, probably expecting a somewhat different reaction.  
“You do not seem to appreciate my grace and mercy,” he hissed. Julia folded arms on her chest.  
“What you call grace is a normal human approach,” she snapped. If it was an attempt to say sorry, Loki was failing spectacularly, and Julia could not decide whether she was allowed to laugh at his stubborn and mixed-up grimace. _At least he tried._

The man turned away from her as unexpectedly as he had started this awkward conversation a moment ago. Julia looked around in confusion, unable to understand why Loki had tensed up. He suddenly grabbed her by the hand and pulled round the corner, into one of the small narrow passages between the houses. The man firmly pressed her to his body and covered her mouth with one hand.

“Silence.” Loki whispered; it seemed like he even ceased to breathe. Julia froze, waiting and listening. About a minute passed before she discerned what had made her companion hide: slow clatter of hooves over the stoney road. The minotaur was out for the night.

The creature walked past the dead end where they were hiding, and Julia felt Loki's embrace around her waist tighten as he witnessed the beast. One look at the creature was enough to understand why the witnesses had spoken of the Devil. 

The minotaur was almost three meters tall, a huge head of a bull crowned with a pair of sharp curved horns. The creature walked straight like a man, the animal head attached to a human body with olive dark skin. The figure of the creature looked strangely disproportionate: muscular, but bulky and clumsy. Instead of human feet the legs of the minotaur ended in hooves which rattled loudly over the cobblestones. In the right hand the monster was holding a heavy long spear, its metal tip scratching the pavement behind the creature as it trode forward. Loki stepped away from the wall when the minotaur was almost one hundred steps away from them and about to turn round the corner.

“We’d better lure him out of town, there is too little space in these narrow streets,” Loki whispered. “Move.”

They crept out of the dead end. Julia wondered what kind of magic Loki was planning to use in order to distract the creature and draw the minotaur away from the city centre. They made only a couple of steps away when the creature suddenly huffed loudly and tilted its head to a side, listening for noises in the quiet of the night. Julia held her breath; Loki by her side froze, watching the beast with wary eyes. Seconds seemed like hours.

The minotaur sharply turned around with a loud roar, one of its horns digging into the wall of a nearby house and spalling off pieces of mortar and bricks. The creature tossed the spear away and leaped forward, landing on all fours. 

“He saw us!” Julia squeaked and involuntarily clutched her fingers on Loki's sleeve. “What do we do now?!” 

The monster rushed at them, the cobblestone road trembling under his hooves.

“Run!” Loki yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling the girl forward, down the street. 

They turned round the corner and ran down a steep staircase of white stone between two houses. The street was somewhat wider, with two long lines of cars parked for the night. The minotaur roared in the parallel street and they heard a loud rumble as if the creature had broken through a stone wall.

“Quickly, check the cars!” Julia darted to the closest one. “We need one with the keys inside!”.

The clatter of hooves and sounds of blows were louder with every second.

“This one has keys!” Loki called her from the end of the street. He was bending over a brand new huge Maserati which was the first in a line of parked cars. The man grabbed the handle and jerked the front door open. The alarm filled the night with a long high-pitched howl, giving them away to the minotaur. Julia ran towards the car and pulled open one of the rear doors.  
“Kill the alarm!” She hissed. “God, I can't believe that we are stealing a fucking Maserati!”

Loki jumped into the driver’s seat and brushed his fingers over the control panel. All buttons on it sparked at once and the alarm went silent. They both ceased to breathe, waiting for the creature to come closer. The ground was slightly shaking under the monster's hooves. The minotaur roared and slammed one of the cars in a long row behind them.

“Drive!” Julia commanded, looking back at the approaching figure.  
“I.. I don't know how to,” Loki snapped, hectically pressing all buttons at the dashboard.

The minotaur smashed the roof of a car behind them, and it crushed and crumpled like a piece of paper. Julia gasped at the sight of what awaits them, and slammed the front seat.

“They why the fuck did you take the front seat?! Key to the right till engine starts, then press left pedal, then press right pedal. Now!”

In the rear view mirror Julia saw Loki's eyes dart from left to right. He hissed and kicked the gas pedal. The engine gave a short fierce roar.

“No, keep your foot on it!” The car jumped forward and Julia hit the headrest of the front seat with her forehead. “Now, the gear stick!”

The minotaur roared behind their car. Julia groaned and leaned forward. She covered Loki's hand on the transmission lever with hers and sharply pushed it forward and left.

“Pedals, now!”

The monster kicked the back of the car and it jolted forward, the rear window cracking and exploding into a million small shards. The engine roared and the vehicle started from its place so abruptly that Julia got thrown back.

“What do I do now?” Loki groaned as they passed four blocks at full speed. The ground was shaking behind them as the creature started the pursuit. Julia caught sight of a small corner shop near their hotel: they were approaching the marina.  
“Now turn right.” Loki sharply jerked the steering wheel and the car almost turned over. The minotaur followed them round the corner. The road along the coastline was straight.  
“Too fast, let him catch up,” Julia once again grabbed the gear stick and pushed it to a different position. “Now, right foot a little off the gas pedal.”

Loki followed her command and let go of the gas. The car went slower. The distance between them and the minotaur started to get shorter. The road was going along the coastline and then up the hill.

Within a couple of minutes they were far enough from the city, and the creature was still in pursuit, a steady distance of about thirty meters between the monster and the car. It seemed like the right time to get rid of the creature for good.

“The bomb!” Loki glanced over the shoulder. “You have it!”

Julia delved into the purse and clutched the small glimmering sphere.

“There is a dimple, press your finger to it. When the sphere turns red, throw it.” Loki instructed her. The road made a turn, and this time the man turned the wheel more gently but still the car jolted and the wheels screeched over the asphalt, leaving black marks. 

The sphere in Julia's hand made a loud click and flashed with red. The girl tossed it at the minotaur, aiming for the head. The bomb hit the creature in the forehead right between the horns, and the see-through shell of the sphere popped open, letting out the red flame. A small swirl formed in place of the flames, sucking in the air, pieces of grass and asphalt together with the monster. The deadly vortex grew bigger and then blew up, sending sand and dust all around. A strong gust of wind hit Julia in the face. She covered her head and turned around, with terror realizing that Loki missed a turn and the car was heading towards a steep cliff high above the sea. There was no way they could survive the fall.

“Brakes, Loki! Press brakes!” Julia yelled, clutching onto his shoulder. The man glanced in the rear view mirror with panic.  
“Which one is brakes?” He groaned. The ridge was approaching. Julia reached for a hand brake and sharply pulled it. The engine roared, the car jumped to a side and went into a spin, stones flying from under the screeching tires.

The vehicle stopped merely a meter away from the cliff. They were surrounded by a thick cloud of dust. Julia saw nothing, but it was certain that they were still alive. She had small shards of glass in her hair and cuts on her arms, her hands clutched on Loki's shoulder were shaking. The man in the front seat sat still, gripping the steering wheel with such force it was strange how he had not torn it off yet. He opened his eyes and coughed out the dust, catching Julia's gaze in the dirty rear view mirror.

“This was insane...” the Asgardian wheezed out, letting go of the wheel. He inhaled deeply and slowly several times and then suddenly laughed out loud, tilting his head back and slamming the centre of the steering wheel. The loud honk broke the silence of the night. “I want to do it again!”

Julia giggled nervously, definitely not expecting from him a reaction like this, and then laughed as well, letting out the terror and tension and realizing that it was time to stop digging nails into Loki's shoulder and move away from him. At this moment he turned towards her with a wide grin, and his face was so close that their noses almost touched. 

“It was not difficult at all.” He smirked. “Your vehicles are easy to operate.”

Julia pulled back with a shaky breath, feeling her teeth chatter with the adrenaline.

“Yes, but this is not how you should drive!” 

Loki quickly glanced at the control panel and then back at her.

“How should I drive, then?” He asked, a devious smile forming on his lips. “Teach me.”

Julia squeaked and shook her head in disbelief. 

“What?! You mean… now?! In this car?!” 

Loki nodded energetically, impatiently tapping his fingers over the steering wheel.

The girl bit her lip. The car was missing both mirrors and a back window, the insides of it covered in a thin layer of yellow dust, and she could only imagine what the body of the vehicle looked like from outside. The estimated cost of maintaining the peace on a small Greek island just reached one hundred thousand dollars.

“We just stole a fucking Maserati Quattroporte…” Julia uttered slowly and saw Loki purse his lips with disappointment. She could have said no to his crazy idea - it actually would be appropriate and wise - but reasonable decisions are rarely made on leather backseats of expensive cars. “I would say that it would be a crime much worse not to take it for a test drive.” 

Julia felt a wide grin grow on her lips as she watched Loki's eyes lighten up with childish excitement and joy. She pushed the door open and got out of the car to sit by his side in the front seat. “But this time we buckle up.”

\----------

They stood on her porch in the mirk of the early morning. 

“You asked me if I ever have fun,” Loki said, a smile lifting his lips. “Today was fun.”

She couldn't agree more. Loki was a diligent student and a quick learner, and by the end of their intense driving course in a stolen luxury car he even mastered a reverse parking maneuver to perfection. It felt strange - having fun together. The fact that her heart was not filled with remorse for what they have done felt even stranger. With certainty Julia could call their two nights in Greece the craziest of all adventures they have been through. 

The Eastern sky was a pale yellowish haze. Loki studied her with a determined and wary expression on his face, and it looked like he was about to say something, _do something_ \- and Julia suddenly wished he would. The strange vacuum of uncertainty surrounding them was unbearable, and none of them was in control anymore - she could see it now all too well.

Loki did nothing. He stepped away and gave her a short small bow, his hands folded behind his back.

“Thank you,” the Asgardian breathed out, his voice suddenly raspy and low. “Have a lovely night, Julia.”


	18. Omens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is gonna be big. Some good things are coming, and some bad things are coming.

The ring of mountains surrounding the plato was barely visible in the snowy haze. One of the cloaked figures approached the remains of the horned beast by the altar. The body had been there for several months, but the cold preserved the corpse from rotting, and the blood once shed on the stones of the ancient sanctuary had frozen into them for good. The loud whistle of the wind caused the people to stand closer and wrap themselves tighter in the thick hooded capes. The place might not seem like the best choice for an assembly, but the men could not risk to be seen by the All-seeing One guarding the Nine Realms. Besides, holding the meeting in place of the unsuccessful child sacrifice even seemed somewhat symbolic. 

One of the figures approached the altar, and the rest took their places around, forming a circle. The man in the centre leaned over the stone podium, and suddenly his whole body trembled, as if he was in terrible pain. Electric white light shone from under the hood covering his face, and with a yelp of pain he collapsed on the frozen ground. The rest of the figures patiently waited in the cold wind, all eyes locked on the unconscious man. Finally, he moved and heavily got up on his knees. When the man placed his hand on the stoney altar, a weaving of shining white lines was covering his skin likewise veins. The rest of the figures shortly bowed to him.

“We missed our chance back then,” The man uttered, his voice strangely deep and a faint echo following every word he spoke. He slightly pushed the remains of the dead monster with his foot, and the huge frozen corpse moved under the inhumanly mighty touch. “There will be no other opportunity for the following two and a half centuries, and we can not risk to disappoint Her again. All figures must be in place when the day comes, as the prophecy speaks.” 

One of the men shifted on his feet before responding.

“There might be... complications.” The rest of the figures turned to him, as well as the shining one in the middle. “He knows something. The spell caught his attention. I took the arrows away before he had a chance to learn more, but he will be alert. We must be prepared that he will be searching for answers.”

A short quiet laugh interrupted the speaker, and the sound of it was coming from all around. The man in the centre of the circle raised his right hand.

“It will not matter when the time comes. He can not change what is coming. If the evidence was taken away from him, there is no chance he will ever find a connection between the awakening of the beasts and the upcoming Ragnarok. The only thing he can do is play his part.”

Silence fell upon the sanctuary for a longer moment. The man in the centre of the circle tilted his head back, waiting and listening. The howl of the wind was mixing with the faint whisper of a distant woman's voice. He looked at the hooded figures surrounding him.

“She says he is not alone. He travels around this Realm with a mortal creature by his side, slaying the beasts. It is not what he is supposed to be doing. The creature is weak and does not possess any magical powers, but we cannot take any more risks.”

The men looked at each other. There was no change in the surroundings, the whistle of the wind the same, but the invisible presence they felt and the omen of punishment in case of failure made them nervously lift their shoulders. 

“It is not good.” Nervously spoke one of the men. “If the other creature is not part of the plan, we shall get rid of it. Let me assure you that it will not be a problem. All we need is to learn a name.”

A shining portal opened for the hooded men to head back to where they came from. As one after another they disappeared in the bright glimmer, one could clearly see that none of the figures casted a shadow on the frozen ground.

\----------

Loki was stuck. It was the best word to describe his current situation. 

When Odin dies, he will be crowned Allfather. He will take a wife of noble heritage to bear his children and to secure that his bloodline is passed on, he will rule Asgard as he was meant to and redouble its glory. It was an obvious course of events Loki had been prepared for since the moment Odin receded to Odinsleep.

Months passed, Odinsleep lasted, Loki sat on the throne - a legitimate ruler but not yet Allfather. Months are nothing, years are nothing, but deep down Loki kept asking himself the same question: what will he do when Odin wakes up? He could always hope that it never happens, but it was clear that some day he will have to face the wrath of the Allfather and to bear the consequences of his actions. Will Odin force Thor to return from Midgard and burden him with the role of his successor which Thor had never actually been allowed to reject? Will Loki be imprisoned again, or banished from Asgard for all eternity? Loki could not allow the old man to take away what was rightfully his. He had to think of something.

In the meantime he had other matters to attend to. If he does not stop the upcoming Ragnarok, there will be no Asgardian throne to claim, there will be nothing left at all. For now, the only lead he had was the one spotted by the Midgardian: her Realm which had so unexpectedly appeared from out of nowhere soon after the prophecy had been spoken, had previously been part of the cosmic structure of the Nine Realms. The maid limited their search of a reason for such course of events to one century, but it was not good enough. So Loki did what he always used to, when there was a problem to solve or a goal to reach. He kept digging through the thick volumes of the palace library, one after another, thoroughly searching for an answer, until he finally found one.

Something urged him to move from historical records to the shelves dedicated to Astronomy. It could have been a dozen of books, or four dozens - he lost count at some point. When he finally found it the man could not believe his eyes, but there it was - a rather short note speaking of seemingly unimportant events.

\----------

The door opened at once. Loki frowned at the sight of an unfamiliar face and applauded to himself for disguising his heavy cloak as a black leather jacket on the way to the maid’s house. The man at the door gave him a wide smile and reached out to tap him on the shoulder, speaking in a loud and agitated manner. Abashed by the discourteous and overly-cordial welcome given to him by a complete stranger, Loki stepped back, reaching for a knife on his belt. 

The maid emerged from the insides of the house just on time to prevent the bloodshed. Even if she was surprised to see Loki, she sent the stranger away and moved aside with a welcoming gesture, letting the Asgardian pass. Loki squeezed by her side into the hall, registering many unfamiliar belongings. The Midgardian was nervously shifting on her feet, watching him with concern.

“What are you doing here?” She finally asked. 

Loki ignored her question, alertly listening to the music, voices and loud bursts of laughter filling the house. He studied the maid’s short-sleeved black shirt with a bat symbol on the chest.

“Cherry juice,” Julia hissed, catching his meaningful gaze on her cup. “Zero percentage. Are you here to make sure that I stay sober?”

Loki smirked.

“No, I am here because of more important matters. I happened to find information which might be helpful for us, and I need to speak to you.”  
“Now?” Julia helplessly glanced towards the living room. “But I am busy, I have guests.”  
“I can make them go away any moment,” Loki shrugged, slightly wincing at the loud sounds of laughter.  
“Oh, don’t you dare!” Julia snapped angrily, poking him in the chest with her index finger. Loki looked down at her hand, then raised his eyes to Julia’s face and cocked a brow. The girl frowned back, but did not take her finger away. “For the first time in the last I-don’t-remember-how-long I do not have to go and save the world, I finally have a moment to meet with my friends, I even come up with a perfect logistic solution: I gather them all in one place. And you choose this exact moment to drop by?!”  
“Maybe next time you will be more lucky,” Loki replied indifferently. “If I am not allowed to make these Midgardians leave, you do it yourself.”

The girl took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

“None of them shall be leaving,” she hissed. “Please be reminded that a right for rest and leisure is one of the basic human rights, and I think I have earned at least one Friday night of peace!”  
“What do you suggest?” Loki asked grumpily. “Should I wait until you have enough of your sweet little reunion, and all your guests decide to leave?”

The girl chose to ignore his sarcasm, because what he said sounded like the best possible solution.

“Yes!” Julia cried out and her face brightened. “Exactly, I suggest you wait. There is beer, vodka and maybe some gin left. There still were chips half an hour ago, though I would not guarantee that you will find any right now. Anyway, I made a cake for later. Now we are discussing politics and watching stupid cat videos, but later there might be board games if anyone remains sober enough. Feel free to join us. Actually, some social interaction might do you good.”

Loki pursed his lips with aversion as she spoke. The maid’s suggestion to join her pathetic Midgardian gathering was absolutely unacceptable. Both her and her companions were inferior shallow creatures whose way of entertainment was foolish and pitiful - what she had voiced a moment ago was enough to give him the whole picture. And once again, the maid seemed to have forgotten that she was not equal to him - an incredibly careless approach, concerning the fact that he was capable of destroying her whole house with everyone in it with a single touch of his hand - maybe not a single touch, but still with no considerable effort. It would have been wiser of her, if she had just asked him to leave. Loki would not acknowledge that aloud, but the maid did deserve some rest, and if she had ordered him to abandon her dwelling he would have probably listened. But she did not do it.

“How did you explain to your companions the presence of a magical bird with a human face in your house?” He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.  
“I didn't, Hedwig is locked upstairs in my bedroom.” Julia replied with a small smile, realizing that a decision had been made. “Behave like a normal person and try not to scare anyone… please?”

Loki rolled his eyes and took off the jacket which turned back into a heavy coat. He folded it and placed into a wardrobe that Julia held open. The Asgardian followed her into the living room filled with the hum of voices. With surprise Julia noticed a small nervous frown on his forehead. The room was brightly lit, and the balcony door leading to the back yard was wide open. Some people turned to them and the girl cleared her throat. There were faces Loki recalled from that one time when he had tormented the Midgardian in her office, there were also several unfamiliar ones - about ten people altogether, and probably some more in the back yard. Loki looked around the room and gave a short nod to the Midgardians gathered around him.

“Everyone, this is L… Luke. From... Norway. Luke, this is everyone. Please have fun.” Having spoken so, the girl retreated to the kitchen. 

Julia closed the fridge and jumped at the sight of the Asgardian leaning over the kitchen door.

“Luke?” The man asked. Julia giggled.  
“What was I supposed to say, “Loki”?! I had to make something up quickly. Did you say hello to everyone?”  
Loki grimaced. “You can say so. You know that your companions seem foolish and pa…”  
“Don’t you say it!” Julia angrily tossed a bottle of beer at him.  
“Pathetic,” Loki finished with a smirk, catching the beverage. “What did I say about throwing objects at me?”  
“What did I say about behaving like a normal person?” Julia countered, copying his sneer, and marched past Loki to join the rest of the guests.

Her quiet small-scale Friday party was about to turn into an evening at the mad hatter’s, and she was the one to allow it to happen.

“You wanna tell me something?” Barbara casually asked her, leaning over the terrasse railing at the back of the house. Julia nervously glanced through the balcony door into the living room. Loki sat in his armchair in the corner with a haughty look on his face, contemplating the guests, talking and laughing and having fun. There was an empty space around him, everyone involuntarily keeping a safe distance. Dressed in black leather pants and a dark brown tunic, with a stiff and bored expression, he looked so surreal in a room full of relaxed men and women, that Julia could not hold a laugh.  
“Do I have to?” she turned back and gave her friend a helpless look. Having let Loki join the party with Barbara around, she had to be ready for this kind of talk.  
“No, but it would be nice if you gave me some new material to gossip around our office. I noticed matching tattoos… or whatever it is you have on your left hand.” The girl glanced at a pattern of scars covering Julia’s forearm. “The guy dresses in a strange way: he is either a biker or just weird. Did you join a gang and forgot to mention it to me?”  
“It is… complicated.” Julia replied evasively, wondering is she will ever be able to tell someone of her adventures with Loki, or if the secret will be buried with her.  
“Will you at least tell me how you met him?” Barbara whined beggingly.  
“On Christmas eve he came to my neighbours - remember that Austrian family with a little boy? - and by accident ended up in my house. I got scared and knocked him out with a bottle of whiskey.” Julia almost told the truth. She giggled, realizing that _a gang_ could be a good definition for her partnership with Loki, since they even stole a car together.

Time flew fast. At first Julia was closely watching Loki’s every move, but he did not misbehave. After some time alone in the corner the Asgardian noticed someone take out the dice and figures from a familiar box with a board game he had played with Julia, and he pulled the armchair closer, joining the session. He did not use magic, he did not threaten the other players - at least openly, and Julia relaxed. She put the pie in the oven, lowered herself on the couch and rested her chin on her palm, lazily contemplating the people around. Barbara sat down by her side. Julia moved closer to her friend and rested her head on the girl’s shoulder. The first truly multicultural party in the history of her Realm was going better than she could have expected.

Soon the game was over and Julia could bet that Loki was the winner. The Asgardian leaned back in the armchair with a complacent smile on his face, allowing the other players to put the figures back in the box. Their eyes met and Loki winked at Julia. At this moment all lights in the house went out at once.

Apparently, Loki decided that her friendly reunion was taking too long. Julia made a note to berate him for that later, but first she tried to find some candles to save the situation. There were none even though she clearly remembered having at least a dozen, and the clock was showing three A.M. already, therefore the farewells with the guests were over within half an hour.

“Have a nice afterparty,” Barbara giggled at the door and quickly kissed Julia on the cheek. “See you on Monday!”

Julia sighed and trudged back into the living room, lighting the way with the screen of her phone.

“Are all these annoying creatures gone?” Loki asked, turning away from the window. Small fen-fires were dancing under the ceiling, making long shadows flicker on the walls.  
“My _friends_ are gone, but the annoying creature is still here,” Julia said, folding arms on her chest.

Loki laughed quietly and lazily strode towards the girl, his traits softer in the uneven blue light of the magical fires.

“You are not being nice to me,” he drawled and cocked his head to a side. “I did what you asked of me, I behaved like a... normal person, I did not scare nor hurt any of these Midgardians, I even _spoke_ to some of them, and you dare insult me and call me annoying. Where is your gratitude, Julia?”  
“You want me to be grateful for not ruining my evening with friends?! Now, this is too insolent even for you. Besides, it is you who should be grateful that I let you join us, because I do not recall inviting you.”  
“Me neither,” Loki sighed dramatically with a look of false sorrow on his face. “And I feel strangely alienated…”  
“No, you don’t,” Julia interrupted impatiently and rubbed her face. “Fine, now we can discuss whatever it was that you wanted to talk about. I can’t believe that it is three in the morning already… It doesn’t feel like three in the morning.”  
“Because it is not,” Loki smirked. Julia looked down on her wristwatch and gasped in surprise when she saw the clock hands turn backwards. The big digital clock on the wall blinked off for a moment and readjusted as well.  
“You… you threw all my guests out at midnight!” She yelped in disbelief. 

Loki laughed and shook his head.

“You are wrong; they left by themselves. I did not force them to leave, I only helped a little”.  
“ _A little_ does not seem like a good word for causing a blackout and manipulating the clocks,” the girl sighed and rested hands on her hips. 

Loki laughed again, his eyes sparkling with glee. He shook his glass in the air.

“Refill?” he asked casually. The timer of the oven rang loudly, and Julia noticed the Asgardian glance towards the kitchen door. “Besides, the pastry you prepared smells delicious, and I did not feel like sharing.”

Julia helplessly threw her hands up in the air and groaned. She had no idea how to react to this impudent behaviour. The girl marched towards the oven and angrily delved for the hot baking pan, fighting an urge to throw the pie into the garbage. She lowered it on the kitchen counter and reached for a knife, when something lightly touched her hair. Julia froze and turned her head. Loki stood behind her, peeking over her shoulder with interest, his nostrils slightly moving.

“What is it?” He asked. Julia swallowed when she felt his breath on her neck. Even if there was some kind of a distance between them, it was too insignificant.

“Apple, cinnamon, lots of sugar, shortcrust pastry and meringue on top.” Julia recited, hoping that the twilight would hide her burning cheeks.

Loki nodded, his whole posture giving out the impatience he was obviously trying to hide. Julia lowered her head to hide a smile. Everyone has a little weakness of some sort, and Loki proved to be no exception. She turned around and handed to the man a plate with two big pieces of sweet pie.

“Explain me this: you live in a palace full of servants. Can’t you just order them to feed you desserts three times a day?”  
“I am the King of Asgard,” he reminded her, looking at the girl with pity as if she had asked something obvious and incredibly stupid. “I cannot eat pastry instead of meals.”  
“What’s the point in being the King of Asgard, then?” Julia giggled. 

Loki pursed his lips, and the girl lifted her shoulders, recalling the way their discussions used to end after such careless comments from her side. Suddenly, no outbreak of violence followed. Loki huffed and leaned forward, reaching for a fork on the counter by Julia's side. For a moment his face was barely a dozen centimeters away from hers, and Loki gave Julia a short amused look.

“There are several nice things in life of the Allfather besides desserts,” He said. “And I can always hope for a treat here, after I ruin your evening.”

They settled by opposite sides of the kitchen table. Since her coffee machine had departed to Asgard, Julia switched to tea. She pushed one cup towards Loki, watching him finish up the pie.

“I like the taste of this.” The man said, lowering the small fork on the empty plate. “You are good at baking.”  
“I know,” Julia smirked with pride. “If you ever conquer Midgard and ruin our economy for good, remember to secure for me a job in your kitchen.”

The words rolled off her lips before she had time to think. Julia swallowed, suddenly realizing that if her world ever rejoins the cosmic structure of the Nine Realms alongside the Superhero Earth, the conquest would become a real possibility. While the connection is unstable and Loki is the only one to descend to her world, there is nothing to fear, but this will change sooner or later. What then? The Other Earth has superheroes, while her world has nothing that could stop a possible military invasion. Julia suddenly remembered that herself and Loki are still bound by the contract, and the clock is ticking. The six months anniversary was behind them, only five months left before the end of the deal. Previously the day when their agreement ends had seemed to her so remote and distant that Julia did not consider what could happen next. She tried to secure her own survival, as well as her family’s, with a number of rules that Loki swore to bypass in order to have his revenge, and he did not seem like a forgiving type. What if he has already found a way to trick the agreement and only waits for the right moment to make her pay for dragging him into this? What if the dreadful fortune-telling she has received from a gypsy is nothing but a lie, and the Death Tarot card means nothing for her? What is she lives through the whole year?

Loki was watching her in silence, his eyes narrowed to slits, and something was telling Julia that he was not thinking of killing her - and the girl had learned to trust her intuition. Julia suddenly thought of his body pressed to hers, the memories of her dream still very vivid, and a wave of wet heat rose in her stomach, so strong it sent a shiver up her spine. She fought an urge to hit her head on the tabletop, troubled by the fact that she was rather anxious and curious than scared of what Loki might do to her. 

The Asgardian bit the inside of his cheek, contemplating the maid. Till present day their search for a connection between the reappearance of the Other Midgard in the cosmic system of Nine Realms and the upcoming Ragnarok had been futile. What Loki had discovered today felt like a breakthrough; he was not sure yet if the information he had obtained was of any real importance, but he hoped that it would shed the light on the connection between the awakening of magic in the maid’s Realm and the omen of the end of days. The Midgardian did not know yet what he had discovered, and for a moment Loki hesitated, whether he should tell her. He suddenly wondered what would happen if he manages to reverse the foretold events of Ragnarok. What if he stops the dead from rising and flooding the lands of the living? Will the Other Midgard remain hidden from sight, or will it reunite with the rest of the Nine Realms alongside the Earth inhabited by so-called _superheroes_? In this case the new Realm would be a suitable subject for takeover. With magical beasts running loose and no technology to match the equipment of the Asgardian army, it would be an easy target. Loki studied the Midgardian by the opposite side of the table and recalled that the sole reason of his presence in her dwelling - their contract - ends soon. Thanks to his tendance the maid managed to live through the seven months of the deal, and Loki was almost certain that she will as well make it through the remaining five. What should he do with her after the term of contract comes to an end? The man could say with certainty that he would not allow her to walk away without payback - especially if the Tenth Realm becomes easily accessible for the Asgardian army. But he would not kill her. Loki suddenly pictured the Midgardian completely naked, dressed in nothing but an apron, bending over an open oven the way she had done ten minutes ago. If he ever takes over her world, why not keep the maid as a little pet of his own? He would not be the first Asgardian man to seek companionship of a female from a different Realm. He could even order to place her stove in his private chambers. 

The Midgardian frowned, watching him closely, and suddenly bit her lip, a wave of blush coloring her cheeks with red, so intense that he could see it in the darkness. Loki could not tell whether something in his posture had given his fantasies away to her, but he could clearly say what kind of thoughts had filled Julia’s mind from the mixed-up and ashamed look on her face. He had learned to read her expressions rather well, and he could swear that he had never seen this one before. The girl sucked in the air and licked her lips, staring at him with eyes wide open, and shifted a little on the chair. Loki could see the fast heartbeat on her neck, and a sensation of delight overwhelmed him when he realized that he was the reason for the arousal the maid was feeling. They have been through some difficult moments when he had tried to hurt her and scare her, he had given her the worst of him, and yet she desired him, and it was surprising and at the same time incredibly comforting. He definitely prefered this new look on her face to the terrified expression he had witnessed so many times.

“I see that something... preoccupies you. Would you like to share with me your thoughts, Julia?” Loki purred lowly, leaning forward.

Julia clenched her hands together and energetically shook her head. From the man's expression she could clearly tell one thing: _he knew what she was thinking of_. The Asgardian was reading her like an open book, and clearly enjoying it. She waited for a wicked and humiliating comment, but there was none.

“I shall start, then.” Loki spoke softly, his mischievous gaze piercing Julia. “Year one thousand seven hundred fifty five”.  
“What do you mean?” The girl blinked without understanding.  
“You studied the historical records of your Midgard as well as the other, trying to find the moment when the Realms got separated from each other. The only thing you were able to tell me was that the history of the two Realms started to develop differently from the mid-eighteenth century. And now I tell you the exact date. According to your calendar, it shall be year one thousand seven hundred fifty five, first day of November.”

Julia frowned.

“And how do you know that?” She asked in a serious business-like manner, grateful for a change of subject.  
“The research of historical records from my side was fruitless, but when I verified the treatises on Astronomy, I came across a notice about an astronomical phenomenon which would be best translated to your language as Сonvergence. Every once in a while all Realms change places a little, and the veil between the worlds becomes thinner. At this time the foundation of each world trembles, as if an enormous quake would shake all the Realms of the living. Strange things can be heard and seen, some would take them as dark omens. The process of Convergence lasts for almost a year and always ends on the same day, when the outburst of magic is the strongest. We do not pay much attention to this natural event in Asgard because it had never had any consequences for our Realm… until present day. The last time the Convergence took place was two hundred and sixty one years ago. What was left for me to do was to recalculate the date the way you do it here in Midgard.”

Julia stared at Loki intently.

“So,” she spoke slowly, trying to sort out the new information. “What you mean is that every several hundred years there is a day when the borders between worlds become so thin they can be easily crossed. Every time this phenomenon happens, there is an outburst of magic, and… this is the reason why my world got separated from the rest of the Nine Realms? A natural phenomenon?!”

Loki nodded.

“A whole planet went missing and no one noticed a thing? I can't believe it,” the girl shook her head.  
“No planet went missing that day. Your world is most probably a reflection of the other one, a copy so to say. As you said yourself, before the Convergence day your history was one. I think the outburst of magic created a duplicate of Midgard, a replica which split off and took all the magic away, leaving the other place with no magic, but humans with enhanced abilities instead.”  
“That's... messed up.” Julia gave the man a helpless look.  
“What happens on this day can be beyond comprehension of any living creature.” Loki replied with an apologetic shrug.  
“There is a contradiction in your theory. You say the day of Convergence is the first of November, but we met on Christmas.” Julia reminded him, hugging the pillow.  
“Indeed,” Loki nodded. “ As I said, the process lasts for almost a year. Two hundred and sixty one years ago a part of Midgard split off, and on the day you call Christmas, when the new cycle began, your Realm reemerged and made my descend possible. The same must have happened to the magic which is filling your Realm again: during the previous cycle it must have receded. I do not know what shall follow next, and whether your world will take its place in line with the Other Midgard on the day the Convergence ends, but I would consider it as one of the possibilities.”

The girl bit her lip, slightly rocking back and forth with a pillow pressed to her chest and trying to think of a way to test Loki’s theory. The man watched her meditate with a puzzled look on his face. Finally, Julia sat straight.

“You said that peculiar events would happen every time the Convergence takes place. What do you have in mind?”  
“Anything which does not fit the normal course of events. There can be rain instead of snow and there can be snow in mid-summer, inexplicable phantoms in the sky, large-scale natural disasters…” Loki recited.

Julia got up from her chair with a decisive look on her face. Loki followed her as she marched into the living room. The girl sat on the couch Indian style and sharply pulled her laptop closer, and Loki lowered himself by her side, watching her edgy movements and feeling the same nervous tremble deep inside.

“Portugal, earthquake and a tsunami kill fifty thousand people overnight,” the girl finally read aloud and turned to look at Loki, her eyes reflecting the pale blue glimmer of the fen-fires and the laptop screen. “First of November, year one thousand seven hundred fifty five...” *****

Julia felt like they had just discovered the secret to the universe. And then she realized that they actually _did_ , and the All Saints' Day celebrated on the first of November fit perfectly the moment when one can witness strange omens in the sky. Maybe as the worlds move closer, one really can reach out to the dead? If Loki's theory is valid and soon the magic will wake up completely and fill the whole world, will there be dragons? Will the Earth turn into one big Hogwarts? They stood on the threshold of the new era, and it was both thrilling and scary as hell.

The girl carefully put away her laptop, took a deep breath and threw her hands up in the air with a loud victorious howl. She hurled a pillow across the room and laughed out loud, unable to hold the excitement anymore.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe it!” She turned to Loki with a wide grin. “Can you imagine a plot twist like this?! We just solved a fucking secret to the universe! We are the best superhero team ever! You are amazing, I am amazing, we are amazing!...” 

Overwhelmed with emotions, Julia even slapped Loki’s shoulder - and froze when she noticed the man tense up. 

“I… I’m sorry, I forgot that you do not like when I touch you,” Julia mumbled, pulling back from the Asgardian, realizing that the emotional events of the evening had made her forget herself.  
“I surely do not approve of being petted like a dog, but I never said that I dislike being touched,” Loki replied in a low voice, watching her closely. “You may try again, if you want to.”

Julia gulped for air. The whole world suddenly collapsed to the size of her couch in a dark living room and the sensation of butterflies in her stomach. The girl could see the amused glimmer in Loki’s eyes, sparkling from under dark eyelashes. 

The loud shriek from upstairs made her jump.

“Hedwig!” Julia cried out with relief, tumbling down the couch. “I must let her out!”

The girl almost ran upstairs to release the siren from the locked bedroom, and she could swear she heard a quiet laugh behind her back.

When Julia returned into the living room, she was almost calm and back to normal. 

“There is just one thing which remains unclear.” She said. “How is this Convergence of the Realms related to the upcoming Apocalypse? I do not see any connection.”  
“It is because you have never lead an army to battle,” Loki replied, his voice suddenly serious. The ceiling lights shone brightly as he got up. “The day when all the Realms of the living stand closely to each other is the best moment to lead the legions of the dead forward. This is what I would do.”

The words he spoke made Julia nervously shiver and remember what might happen if they manage to stop the Ragnarok. She pictured a dark swirling hole in the peaceful sleeping skies of Warsaw, and the horde of Asgardian warriors descending to claim the new Realm a colony. Even if it is not the legion of the dead that floods Earth, it might as well be the legion of the living with Loki at the head of it.

“You should think of a way to inform me in advance before you come over.” Julia said uneasily. “It might be useful, if you plan to repeat these... out of schedule visits in future.”

Loki took his folded coat out of the wardrobe and glanced at Julia over his shoulder.

“I will think of something.” He said simply.

Which could only mean that he did plan for more unscheduled visits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake  
> Yes, I am taking this very seriously ;) every piece of the puzzle must be in place.


	19. You Only Live Once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In European legends a nightjar is a bird associated with death. There is a belief that nightjars can steal souls.  
> Some emotions, some revelations, and some family time.  
> Thank you all for the comments and for keeping up with the story! It is a pleasure to read your feedback :)

Something was about to happen, something big and bad. Since early morning a thousand little ants were marching up and down her spine, and Julia hated that feeling. The girl sat up straight and scanned the open space. She could see the top of Barbara’s head above the monitor across the passage. The day was quiet and lazy, office half empty because of summer holiday season. Julia nervously bit her lip and got up from her desk for a quick walk around.

She approached a full-wall window. Her eyes followed the ragged line of roofs gleaming in the sun - the usual landscape visible from the office. On top of a four-storey block across the street a small flock of nightjars sat on the roof edge. 

“Loki?” Julia whispered soundlessly, starting to feel tired of a sensation of creeps on her neck. “If it is you, stop doing whatever it is you are doing!”

Of course, there was no response. Julia hid her face in the palms and took a deep breath, calming herself down. She tried to think whether there was any reason for the Asgardian to torment her today, but there was none she could recall.

The girl decisively headed towards the desk. She almost tripped when Barbara threw a crumpled paper ball at her.

“Time for a recess,” the colleague declared with a wide grin. “You look like you could use a coffee.”  
Julia nodded. The idea was compelling. “Do we want bad office coffee or expensive Starbucks coffee?”  
“Are you kidding me?! It’s payday, we are going downstairs and I will even pay extra for caramel syrup.” Barbara laughed out loud. “And I suggest you do the same. You only live once, you know.” 

A break did not distract her for long. When the girl looked at the window on the way back from the coffee shop, there were twice as many birds.

“Go away.” Julia hissed angrily, raking an angry gaze at the nightjars. One bird opened its beak and suddenly flapped its wings, taking up from the roof edge and flying straight at the glass.

Julia involuntarily jerked back when the bird hit the window.

“What the fuck is this?” She squeezed the paper cup in her hands so tightly it crumpled. The birds were flying at the window one after another, desperately and persistently hitting the glass separating them from the insides of the office.  
“Bird flu?” Barbara suggested, nervously moving away from the window. “Come on… That is one weird day.”

Julia could not agree more. She took a pink post-it note from her desk and frowned. The girl did not recall having an appointment with a new client, but with so much happening lately she could have forgotten about the meeting.

A flock of nightjars kept hitting the glass.

\----------

With a metal clang Volstagg’s sword met his, and Loki dodged to a side, pushing the warrior away. They moved around the training hall, circling each other and making short lunges - a dance rather than a fight. 

After he had sorted out most of his differences with Thor, the Warriors Three offered him their companionship. Not friendship - that would have been impossible and Loki would never want that - but he got himself three regular sparring partners, which was nice.

Volstagg grunted impatiently and swung the sword in a wide blow. Loki sneered, stepping forward in order to dive under the warrior’s hand and attack him from behind. He collapsed on the knees mid-movement, and Volstagg’s blade missed him by merely a centimeter, cutting off several hairs from the top of his head. Loki let go of the sword and cringed, panting and scratching his nails on the stoney floor. He could barely hear the voice of his opponent, as if someone had covered his head with a big pillow. The pain was unbearable, burning both his body and his mind.

A pair of hands helped him up. Volstagg held him with absolutely no effort.

“Loki?” 

He tried to take a step and reeled. The embrace on his shoulders tightened.

“Loki, what is wrong with you?”

Loki took a deep breath, pushing Volstagg’s hand away. 

“It is... nothing. I must go.”  
“I will take you to the healer's...”  
“No. No need for the healer. I must leave.” If he does not reach the Midgardian fast, there would be nothing left for the healer to work with, maybe some ashes. Under Volstagg’s concerned gaze Loki approached the rack by the wall and put the sword back in place. This time he even managed to walk straight. 

\----------

Loki stepped out of the elevator and decisively headed towards the glass door leading into the maid’s office. He tapped his fingers on a small plastic box with a shining red light in the middle, and the color changed to green. 

“Nice coat,” Loki turned around and witnessed the tall woman with curly hair he had encountered in the maid’s dwelling. She hid a phone in the pocket and gave him an interested look.  
“Where is she?” He asked shortly, feeling the prickling and burning grow stronger with every second. The woman frowned with suspicion at the sight of the half-open office door.  
“Hey, you can’t come inside!” She yelped when Loki pushed the door open, and followed him across the open space. “If you want I will call Julia and tell her you are here, but you need a visitor’s badge to walk around the office!”  
Loki grunted impatiently. “I asked you a question. Where is she?”  
The woman froze in her place, her brown eyes turning blue. “One floor up, down the hall, walk past the kitchen, third glass door to the left.” She recited.  
The man nodded. “Get to work,” he ordered shortly and rushed towards a wide staircase leading to the top floor of the office.

He found the maid inside a small chamber with a glass door, accompanied by a stranger. In the bright electric lights of the lamps Loki noticed that one of the two people in the room was missing a shadow. The binding spell urged him with one more stab of pain, and Loki decided that in this situation it would be better to act first and ask questions later.

“Hello,” he could see the girl’s lips move soundlessly behind the glass door. “My name is Julia, nice to meet you...”

The Midgardian smiled and stretched her right hand out for a handshake. The visitor took a step towards the girl. Loki kicked the door open and both Julia and the stranger stopped mid-movement, turning to him with surprise. The Asgardian rushed forward, pulling out a long knife. He stabbed the man in the chest, the push so forceful that the body flew across the room. The man heavily hit the wall, with a dagger buried hilt-deep between the ribs. Loki took a deep breath, watching the body slide down the wall and feeling the burning pain fade away.

“You fucking maniac!” Julia squealed. She backed away from Loki with a look of terror on her face. “You just stabbed my client!”  
“That was necessary.” He reached towards her, but the girl jumped back.  
“You know what will be necessary? A fucking ambulance!” She turned to the visitor who was supposed to be dead.

He was not. The man was sprawled on the floor by the wall, but there was no blood, as if the flesh ripped by the sharp blade was already dead. The body moved. Loki and Julia watched the stranger sit up, each movement slow and clumsy and his head unnaturally turned to a side. He firmly grabbed his chin and sharply ripped it, and with a loud pop his neck jumped back in place. Julia pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle nausea and watching the ghastly visitor slowly get on his feet.

Loki caught her wrist and sharply pulled the girl out of the room and all the way towards the elevators. He kicked open the glass door leading out of the office, and hit the elevator button. Something was telling him that it would be wise to be as far away from the strange walking corpse as possible.

“Is there a faster way downstairs?” He growled.  
“There are stairs, but they are only open in case of fire.” Julia muttered. Loki glanced behind the shoulder and through the glass door he saw all lights in the office go out.  
“Fire it is, then.” Loki darted towards the grey metal door and sharply pushed the handle down. At the same moment the sprinklers on the ceiling went off, showering them with small drops of water and filling the hall with quiet steady chirr. “Come, fast.” He commanded shortly.

Julia looked back at the darkness filling the office despite the daytime.

“Wait, what about them… Barbara is still there!” The girl lingered. Loki hissed impatiently and pulled her so sharply she almost fell.  
“I said, move! Your only concern now should be your own life.” Under his hand a thick layer of ice covered the doorframe, fixing the door in the closed position. 

The lights flickered. They made it downstairs with the howl of the fire alarm behind their backs. 

“Will you tell me what is going on?” Julia begged when they pushed the door open and stepped into the sunlight. She almost tripped trying to keep up with Loki on her heels.

The man slowed down only for a moment when they made it round the building. He turned to the girl.

“I wish I could tell.” Loki breathed out. “This man, why did he come to you? What did you speak of?”  
“We didn’t speak, you ran in… I only had time to introduce myself. Then you killed my client and he turned into a fucking zombie!” Julia cried out. They stood in the middle of a small patio with a beer garden. It was around two o’clock, only a dozen visitors in the coffee house and a few people walking down the street. The passers-by turned to the girl.  
“I sensed that you might be in danger, and this man was the reason,” Loki explained. He looked away from the girl and froze, noticing a small bird which landed on the wire above their heads. The nightjar cocked its head and looked at the Asgardian with one eye.  
Julia followed Loki’s gaze and frowned. “These birds have been going crazy all morning. They tried to break through the office window.”

Loki licked his lips.

“Impossible,” he uttered slowly, watching a second bird land on the wire. “Those were tales…”  
Julia carefully touched his forearm. “What do you mean?”

Loki turned abruptly and suddenly grabbed her shoulders.

“This man. Did he speak to you first?” He inquired shortly. Julia jerked in his hands.  
“No!”  
“Tell me what he looked like.” Loki commanded, trying to stifle the growing panic. The fear would not go, it kept coming in waves, dark and primeval, like the tales which were coming to life in the streets of the Midgardian city.  
“What?!” Julia yelped.  
“What did he look like? His face, describe it. What color was his hair, blonde or raven? His eyes, blue or brown? Did he have a beard? Speak!” He roared, letting her go. The girl took a step back, her lips shaking.  
“I… I don't remember!” She stuttered. “I can't tell.”

Neither could he. Loki studied Julia's pale face and hands clenched together. The girl looked like she was about to faint, and he could not tell what was scaring her more - his behaviour or the undead man who had come to claim her life.

“I did not kill this man,” he said, trying to speak calmly and not to give in to the terror. “He cannot be killed. It seems that the one who came for you is not a living being.”  
“I have no idea what you are talking about!” Julia whined, the confused look on the man's face frightening her even more. “What is going on, for fuck’s sake?!”  
“In Asgard mothers tell their children bedtime stories, too.” Loki said in a hoarse voice. “This one is very old.”

They kept moving down the street, along the shop windows glowing in the sun.

“There is a legend about the men in between the worlds,” Loki spoke, “who are neither dead nor alive, wandering in the shadows of the Realms of the living. They shall never speak to you first, they take away the light, and they are faceless like the one who came to you - none of us can describe what the man looked like though both you and me had a chance to get a good look at his face. All living beings are like shadows to them, faint and unreachable until they learn the name. Then, one cannot escape the pursuit, the undead shall follow him to the end of the world and take him away to the land of shadows where he will wander for all eternity in suffering and pain.”  
“That is a tale, right? You said it yourself!” Julia squeaked, trying to calm the swirling in her stomach.  
“This has always been a tale, no one had ever met the faceless - or lived through the encounter. But you saw the nightjars,” Loki replied. “They always follow the undead ones when they are on the hunt.”  
“Hunt?! What does your fairytale zombie want with me?!” Julia hissed, nervously looking behind her back.  
“I don't know!” Loki snapped and stopped abruptly at the crossroads. The tram rattled past them. “But you told him your name, didn’t you? Most probably he wants you dead.”

They crossed the street at red light. When Julia looked back she froze. Apparently, the door Loki had sealed with ice was not an obstacle good enough. The stranger walked slowly but steadily, and even though the distance between them was rather big he was approaching fast. The girl could not tell what made his figure so different from the passers-by in the street, but when she looked at him she felt strangely numb. The man's clothing was dark but it was the only thing the girl could tell - his face and traits blurred in the air slightly vibrating around the figure. There was nothing openly dangerous in the approaching man but the fear pinned Julia to the ground. She slowly turned away and noticed a small nightjar land on the back of a bench a couple steps away. Loki swore under his breath when he saw the bird.

“What if you take me to Africa?” Julia whispered, waking up from her trance. “Somalia? Somewhere far away?”  
“This won’t help. After he has learned your name he will see you everywhere, and he will find you.”  
“So, that’s it?! I’m fucked?” Julia cried out. Loki glanced at her, impatient and wired.  
“Not if you do as I say.” He snapped. “He feels you, but other living beings might distract him. The more people around - the better. Is there a place like this?”  
“The mall?” Julia suggested, pointing at a huge triangle building of black and white right by their side. Loki nodded and nervously bit a knuckle, staring at the girl with concern.  
“I cannot kill him, but I can try and trick him,” he finally decided and walked towards the shopping centre.

Loki quickly looked around and lead Julia towards the escalators. They were going up among a few other visitors.

“What is your plan?” Julia looked up and saw the lights flicker. Loki was nervously tapping his fingers on the handrail.  
“The faceless one will not rest until he gets you, so the best thing to do is give you to him. This is my plan. I will create a lookalike to get him off your trail.” He replied and chuckled at the terrified and shocked look on Julia’s face. “You look like you don’t trust me.”  
“Of course I don't!” She hissed.  
Loki huffed with irritation. “Remember that if you die, I will most likely burn to death, so keeping you alive is in my best interest. Does this make you feel any safer?”

Julia narrowed her eyes and nodded. They stopped in a secluded side alley on the top floor of the mall.

“Are you sure this… lookalike trick will work?” The girl asked.  
“No.” Loki answered shortly and locked his eyes with hers. His expression became serious and detached. “As I said, the faceless ones have always been a legend. I am improvising. Now, let me remember how the spell goes...” 

The man nervously snapped his fingers and cursed quietly. After a moment of hesitation Loki placed one hand on top of Julia’s head. 

“Have you ever done this before?” The girl whispered nervously, shivering at a strange sensation of tingling on her scalp.  
“The spell? No, this is my first time,” Loki replied absently.  
“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle,” Julia snorted, trying not to lose her mind to panic. The man glanced at her with confusion.  
“I would surely hoot with laughter if I hadn’t been so busy right now,” he said in a disapproving tone and lightly tugged a strand of her hair. A knife appeared in his hand, and before Julia could protest Loki cut off a lock. “I heard that you Midgardians cherish evening events when one man stands in front of the crowd and makes them laugh with effervescent jokes...”  
“That is called stand-up comedy.” Julia confirmed with a nod, slightly distracted by the talk.  
“It is good that you chose a different path in life.” Loki smirked and pressed an open palm to her chest. Julia frowned and opened her mouth, but could not make a sound nor even breathe. Loki’s lips were moving, his whisper low and indistinct.

He suddenly closed his fist and sharply pulled the hand back, and Julia gulped for air. In the fingers the Asgardian was holding something see-through and silvery, like a veil. Loki turned away and tossed the shining spiderweb to a side. It flew slowly and hovered in the air, forming into a woman's silhouette.

“Give me one of your belongings, something to wear.” He ordered. Julia hesitantly pulled a massive silver bracelet off her wrist. The Asgardian took the object and locked it around the wrist of the transparent figure, and its skin gained color. The woman took a deep breath, opening her eyes. Julia stared in disbelief at herself, with the white blouse and dark blue skirt and her brown hair in a neat ponytail. The girl reached forward and touched the hand of her duplicate. 

“Now, I believe this is called a double date,” Loki laughed shortly behind her back, and Julia turned to see the two of him. One man reached out and took the hand of the other girl, who followed him without resistance. “It is time for her to leave.”

The lights went out all at once, and mirk filled the mall. Loki opened a portal and nodded to his double, who pulled the other Julia into the shining blue swirl.

“We can come and take a look at the show,” having said so, Loki walked towards the balcony from which the ground floor was clearly visible.

With the sound of a polite woman’s voice apologizing for temporary power shortage Julia carefully approached the balustrade and peeked from behind Loki’s shoulder. Steady hum of voices and quiet music were filling the dark mall, but there was no panic. Visitors were patiently waiting, some turned on the flashlights in mobile phones. Then, the portal opened in the middle of the ground floor, and two figures emerged from it. Dead silence fell upon the place, and the people backed away. Some woman screamed. 

At this moment the doors of the mall closed with a loud clang, and a white lightning shone in the darkness. The undead man walked towards the portal, approaching Loki’s and Julia’s lookalikes and moving past the people who froze in their places in terror. He stretched his right hand forward and the lightning lit up the mall again, flying off his fingers. It hit both doubles straight in the middle of the chest. A sparkling swirl surrounded them and then rose towards the ceiling, leaving two still bodies on the floor. Then the pursuer dissolved into thin air, taking the white light away. 

It all lasted no more than half a minute. The building sank into darkness again, the cries downstairs growing louder with every moment.

Julia let go of the railing she had been gripping and turned to the Asgardian by her side. The man seemed more pale than ever, lips pressed into a thin line and eyes sparkling in the darkness. The girl squeezed her eyes shut and took a small cautious step forward, pressing her forehead to his chest, her knees too shaky to stand straight. She could feel his heart beat fast under the thick layer of leather and metal. And then a heavy hand wrapped around her shoulders, and Loki pulled her closer, tangling his fingers into her hair. None of them said a word, and Julia did not know how long they stood like this in the middle of the dark shopping mall filled with screams and panic. It could have lasted hours and it could have lasted seconds, but everything suddenly seemed small and unimportant - because you do not see yourself die every day.

“Let me guess,” Julia finally heard the man speak. “ Now I must prevent these Midgardians from bringing panic and unrest into the streets of your town?”  
The girl looked up at him. “That would be very nice of you.” She agreed, and Loki grimaced.  
“Let us be quick, then.” The Asgardian took a step back. “I have about three minutes before they break the door.” 

\----------

“...And you missed the wet T-shirt contest.” Julia laughed out loud, listening to Barbara's hesitant talking. “No worries, everyone was so busy during evacuation that no one noticed you were missing. We all finished early and there will be a lawsuit against the building management company. Can you imagine, the fire exit was literally frozen! By the way, I got your bag, and it is not wet.”

Julia sighed with relief. It would have been very unfortunate to lose her job after living through the attack of an Asgardian zombie, but this time luck seemed to be on her side.

“Earl Grey or English Breakfast?” She shook two tin boxes in the air.  
“What is the difference?” Loki asked, leaning on the kitchen counter.  
“No idea, for me they taste the same. It's all about the name and the color of the box, I guess.” The girl delved into the cupboard and took out a bottle of brandy. She saw Loki frown and angrily bared her teeth at him. “Don't you say a word. After a day like this I deserve a drink.”

Loki suddenly nodded and pushed his cup closer to the girl as she poured the brandy into hers. Julia raised a brow but obediently followed the silent request, generously filling half the cup with alcohol.

“It is almost five.” Loki glanced at the clock on the wall and sneered. “I would go with the English Breakfast.”  
Julia giggled. “You little rebel,” she mumbled quietly, pouring boiling water into the cups. “Now, will you tell me more about the guy who just killed us both in the mall?”

Loki hesitated.

“There is not much to tell,” he said. “I shared with you all I know. There are old legends about those who worship Death - the undead ones, the faceless ones - they have many names. In return for their allegiance the men gain immortality, but they are also condemned to the existence in the shadows until all life comes to an end. The stories of the undead ones keep little children scared till present day, but these have always been just stories. I never thought that I will ever meet one of them.”  
“Wait up,” Julia interrupted him. “You mean, there is a sect in Asgard which worships death?”  
“This would be correct.”  
“An evil legendary sect which tried to kill me for no reason?”  
“Yes.”  
Julia rubbed her face. “Fine,” she said decisively. “Tell me, what have you done?”  
“What do you mean?” Loki frowned.  
The girl rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on! I mean that it would be the right time to share with me the nature of your conflict with cultists who throw white lightnings at people.”  
“Are you implying that I am the one responsible for what has happened today?” Loki asked in a warning tone.  
Julia huffed. “I am just putting facts together. There is a legendary Asgardian cult of death worshippers willing to kill me, and I do not see how I could have pissed them off all by myself. It is called logic.”  
“It is called being an ungrateful scum,” the Asgardian spat out. “I have no idea why the faceless one came for you, and till today I did not even know they still exist. Be reminded that you were the one to bind me with this contract of ours. Did you think there would be rainbows and flowers? I warned you of the dangers which might lie ahead, yet you were so willing to embark on this little crusade of yours in order to save your fellow Midgardians that you failed to hear my words. Now you will try to blame me for what has happened?!”

The girl opened her mouth to speak, but did not say a word. Her lips twitched, and guilt filled her eyes.

“No, Loki, I am…”  
“Stupid and pathetic,” he finished, grinning wickedly. “And I believe that since your life is not in danger anymore, I can depart.”  
“But I…”  
“We shall see each other on Wednesday just like we are supposed to, according to your contract.” He spat out. “If you lose the habit of sharing your name with the undead, you might survive till then.”

The Midgardian did not try to stop him or say anything, which left Loki with a strange feeling of emptiness. And he did not feel guilty for walking away from the maid’s dwelling and leaving her alone and scared, with the night falling on the city. Not even a tiny bit. 

The bubbling of wrath in his chest receded when he walked into the empty training hall. Loki stretched out his hand and a long spear flew from the rack on the wall towards him. He concentrated, and a dark shadow of a bear appeared in the corner. The animal raced at him. Loki threw the spear at the illusion, and it pierced the wooden wall across the hall. The Asgardian thrust out his hand, and the weapon glided back to him. The Midgardian seemed to be forgetting her place again, and Loki did not find it acceptable. He was not going to tolerate her insolent and disrespectful behaviour only because she was nervous and frightened. The maid was the one to force him into the contact, the one responsible for the consequences and the one to blame.

This time the spear pierced a shadow of a bobcat, and the man growled impatiently, waiting for the weapon to fly back across the hall. He could not recall the last time he had felt so terrified and weak as today, when he watched the body of his Midgardian's lookalike fall on the floor.

The see-through wolf opened its maw, baring the teeth at Loki, but the man did not attack, and the illusion dissolved to mist right in front of him. Loki rested the spear on the floor and pressed his forehead to the wooden shaft, laughing so hard that tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. It was all so clear now. The maid was important to him, and the magical contract was not the reason why his heart would race insanely fast every time Loki sensed danger upon her. It only took him a couple of months of soul-searching and the picture of maid’s death to admit what he had been trying to run away from. _His_ Midgardian.

Loki tossed the spear on the floor and rushed out of the chamber. He did not care if anyone would see him like this, walking in a hurry down the passage with a grimace of insanity on his face. It all seemed of little importance now, when he knew exactly what he wanted and where he wanted to be.

When he reached the door of the maid’s house the sun had already hidden behind the horizon, and the last reflexes were painting the treetops with pink.

She did not answer the knock. It was some kind of a silent agreement between the two of them: he could have accessed the maid’s dwelling without a permission, but he never did it, leaving her a chance to allow him inside the house. This time Loki decisively pressed his open palm to the door, and he heard the lock move. The doorknob clicked open, and the man came in, alertly looking around and listening to every sound.

Loki found the maid upstairs. He had never walked into this part of her dwelling before, and it felt like crossing the invisible borders they both had set for each other. The girl sat on the edge of her bed, with rounded shoulders and her head low. She did not look up when he walked into the bedroom, only whimpered quietly and hid her face in the palms. Loki hesitated.

“What has happened to you?” He asked, approaching the girl.

She did not answer. The man hissed with irritation and grabbed the maid’s shoulders. He slightly shook the Midgardian, feeling anxiety and confusion grow within him.

“Look at me,” Loki ordered. “And speak, or I will make you do it.”

The girl’s lips twitched and she finally glanced at him.

“My family,” Julia whispered. “Something bad has happened.”  
“Why?” Loki frowned.  
“I check on them every day, but since yesterday they do not answer my calls, they don’t respond to emails, I wanted to book a flight but the next one available is tomorrow evening...” The girl’s voice went up and she took a pause before speaking again. “They must be dead...”  
“How do you know this?” Loki sighed. “Most likely they are just busy…”  
“No, they are dead, I know they are all dead… A monster ate them! Everyone is dead!” Julia cried out, swaying back and forth. She sucked in the air, and tears started to flow down her cheeks again.

Loki pursed his lips. The girl was clearly too wound up to reason with her. Julia sniffled quietly and hugged herself, her whole body slightly trembling with the stifled sobs. The man crouched in front of the girl and carefully cupped her face with his palm, urging Julia to lift her chin up. She obeyed him with reluctance. Loki stared at her pale face, with eyes firmly shut and tears running down her cheeks. With the unliving from the darkest Asgardian legends hunting her and her life in peril, the maid had not been half as frightened and distressed as she was now.

“You are the strangest creature I have encountered so far, Julia,” Loki spoke slowly, studying the girl's face. His thumb brushed over her wet cheek, and the man took his hand away, stranding straight. “Get up, we are leaving.”  


Julia opened her eyes and stared at him with surprise.

“Where?” She asked dully.  
“Where does your family live?” Loki looked down at her with pity.  
“London,” the girl replied absently, standing up.  
“London it is, then.” He shrugged and impatiently waved his hand in the air, urging her out of the room. Julia’s face lit up with understanding, and she laughed shortly in disbelief, wiping the tears off. Loki rolled his eyes, watching her. “If you are done crying like a little child, we can pay your family a visit.”  


The girl nervously shifted on her feet, but did not move.  


“What is it now?” The man growled impatiently.  
“I am sorry,” Julia whispered. Loki narrowed his eyes, watching her closely, and his face turned wicked. The girl lifted her shoulders, waiting for a reprimand she clearly deserved.  
“You should be,” Loki smirked and impatiently tapped his fingers on the doorframe. “Now do me a favor, move fast, I do not wish to waste my whole evening on you.”  


\----------

They approached the house right on time to see a car pull into the driveway. Julia stared in disbelief at her brother grinning and waving at her from the back seat. Loki by her side chuckled quietly.  


“Told you. Most probably they did not want to speak to you, because you are annoying.” He drawled and leaned over the low fence.  


“Julia?!” Her mother pushed the car door open. She looked at the girl with surprise. “You did not tell me you would come!”  
“Unexpected business trip,” Julia wheezed out, feeling the tight iron band around her chest disappear. She was even dressed for one, still wearing the clothing from the office. “I thought I would step by.”  


The girl hugged her mother, blinking off the tears.

“You are lucky we returned early. It is raining in Brighton, there was no sense in staying by seaside for another night.”  
“You… you did not answer my calls.” Julia felt incredibly stupid. She turned back to look at Loki who was contemplating her family reunion with a bored look on his face.  
“I left my phone at home, and you know that your Dad never checks missed calls…” The woman opened the car trunk and reached inside for a beach bag. “Anyway, it is great you are here. It has been almost a year since you had come to see us…”  


Julia wobbled when her brother rammed into her for a tight hug. He handed her an inflatable crocodile and pulled the girl towards the front door.

“Come on! Julia!”  


The girl hesitated. Loki stood by the car, invisible for anyone but her, and at the sight of her lingering tossed his head towards the house. 

“Don’t make him wait. You have till midnight,” he smirked at the girl. “After midnight the coach will turn into a pumpkin and Loki will grow impatient.”  


Julia giggled at an unexpected Cinderella reference. She bit her lip and felt an urge to dart forward and hug the Asgardian, and tell him how grateful she is for the unexpected gift, and maybe even cry. But she didn’t do it.


	20. Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter where Loki gets a home-made surgery.
> 
> I hope the references to the Norse legends and Poetic Edda are not too complicated. Feel free to ask me in case of any questions :)

There was someone in his chambers. A faint strip of light was visible through a thin slit between the closed door and the floor. Loki took out a dagger and quietly moved forward, hesitantly thinking why this time the spell he had used to secure the entrance did not work.

A hooded figure was bending over his desk, studying the books he had left open. Loki held his breath and stepped behind a column, carefully studying the tall man wrapped in dark clothing. The stranger ruffled the pages of Loki’s pocketbook and leaned forward to decipher the scribbles under the uneven light of the small sphere floating in the air. 

“Do not move,” Loki ordered, stepping from behind the column.

The hooded man let go of the book and leaped to a side. Darkness embraced the place, so thick Loki could not see his own fingers. He threw the knife at random, aiming at the door. The Asgardian heard the blade hit the wooden doorframe, and a moment later someone opened the door with a violent kick, letting in the light from the corridor. The stranger was fleeing.

“Guards!” Loki roared, darting down the corridor after the man. 

Three warriors joined the pursuit. The floating lanterns lighting the passages of the palace were going out as the runaway was approaching. Loki tried to summon the fen-fires to light his way but they died out at once in the impenetrable darkness. Clearly, the stranger was one of the faceless. This is why the spell on Loki’s door did not work: the fleeing man was not a living being.

The armed guard fell on the floor by Loki's side, pierced by a white lightning, and the Asgardian jumped away to hide behind a tall column. He chased the faceless man down to a hall in the older part of the palace. The chamber had only one entrance behind Loki’s back, and the Asgardian grinned wickedly, realizing that the stranger had nowhere to run. Loki peeked into thick darkness from behind the carved stone pillar. He could not hear a breath nor footsteps, but the faceless man was there. Suddenly the darkness faded, and a golden circle shone on the floor. The stranger was fleeing through a portal.

Loki waited, counting in his mind. A moment before the man would disappear Loki clenched his teeth and leaped forward, straight into the middle of the burning circles on the floor. The portal opened, and it carried both of them away from Asgard.

Loki felt his body lose its weight as they were gaining momentum. He clenched his hands on the attire of the man. The runaway kept fighting the Asgardian, trying to wriggle out of his grip, but Loki would not let go. Suddenly he felt a strong jostle, and sharp pain pierced his right side. He cringed and let the man’s robe slip out of his fingers. At this moment their flight became somewhat slower, and the faceless man unexpectedly gave Loki a strong push, kicking him out of the strand of light and air which carried them through space and dimensions.

Loki yelped when he hit the ground. A cloud of sand rose up into the air, and he rolled off the top of a tall sand dune, desperately trying to hold onto something and feeling the sand slip through his fingers.

He slowly got up. There was nothing but silvery sand as far as the eyes could reach. Loki winced and looked down on his stomach. The stranger must have stabbed him with a dagger. The wound was deep, because his tunic was getting wet with blood very fast. The Asgardian cursed aloud when he caught a glimpse of his own hands in the dark. The color of his skin was changing in flashes, from pale white to cobalt blue and then back to human.

It could mean only one thing: the blade which had injured him carried the same - or similar - spell to the one he had discovered by accident while hunting magical beasts with the maid.

Loki pressed both palms to his side and looked up. The dark sky was clear, mottled with stars. The constellations were alien, yet familiar. He was in the Other Midgard, somewhere in the middle of a sandy desert, wounded by the faceless man and clearly losing his magic - this was the only explanation for the weakness he was feeling and the changes in his appearance he could not control.

The man cursed aloud and thrust up his right hand, reciting the familiar incantation to open the passage back to Asgard. The burning circle embraced him only for a moment. It melted the sand and was gone, nothing but darkness and the whistle of the wind in the sandy dunes surrounding Loki. He growled and tried again, alertly realizing that the pain was too strong for a simple flesh wound. The sand and dark sky around him spinned, and Loki slid down the side of a tall dune in a rather graceless manner. It took him a lot of effort to stand straight. The Asgardian clenched his teeth and concentrated, trying to imagine the magic flow through his body and pushing his conscious to the limits. He was weak and helpless, he could almost see the magic leaving his body with the blood dripping out of the wound. He believed that he had mastered traveling by portals to perfection, yet this time it took him an inhumanly effort to open one. 

Loki growled in pain, getting up from his knees and limping towards a pale blue swirl. He may not be strong enough to travel back to Asgard, but there was one more place where he could go.

\----------

Julia looked at the phone screen, covering her eyes from the bright light, and groaned. Once again she woke up to a rumble downstairs and door slamming in the middle of the night, and the girl had a certain idea who could have decided to pay her a visit. Julia rolled out of the blanket and decisively rushed downstairs to demand the unwanted guest out of her dwelling. She was too angry to consider changing from pajamas into something more appropriate.

“Don’t you have a better place to be at three in the morning?” She yelled walking down the stairs, but there was no response. The girl sighed and brushed her fingers through the hair. “Do you know that I have only four hours left of sleep?”

There was no response again, but something hit the wall. Julia found the switch by touch and hit the lights. 

She froze in shock, staring at the Asgardian with his face pale and a hand pressed to his side. The tunic under his fingers was wet and dark with blood. 

“Help.” Loki ordered shortly and pushed away from the wall, leaving a red mark of his palm on the pale blue paint.

“Fuck!” Julia breathed out and darted towards the shoe cabinet to grab the boots. The girl caught the car keys with shaky hands on the way and pulled Loki’s sleeve. “Come on, we’re going to the hospital! Shit, I hope the car will start!”

She yelped when a firm grip on her forearm held her in place. Julia looked down on the man’s fingers covered in red, and the smell of blood made her head swirl a little.

“No!” Loki panted. “No hospital.”

Jula gulped for air when she saw a wave of blue sweep over his neck and face. For a moment Loki’s eyes turned red. 

“No hospital,” he repeated and slowly walked towards the living room, holding onto the wall in order to stand straight.

The man gingerly lowered himself on the couch. The Asgardian clenched his teeth together, carefully pulling up the wet tunic to reveal a long deep cut on his right side. Julia stared at him in fear and shock. She had absolutely no idea what to do. Loki sucked in a deep breath, and the blood trickling from the wound bubbled.

“I can feel a shard of a blade stuck in the wound,” he wheezed out. The skin around the injury turned blue. “You have to remove it, fast.”  
“H-how?!” Julia cried out. “I am not a medic!”  
“First you pull out the shard, then you sew me up.” Loki instructed and tried to sit up. The girl rushed forward and carefully pushed a pillow behind his back.  
“Hospital?” She asked again in a begging voice. Loki growled quietly with irritation and shook his head. “Fine, but what if you die?”

The man laughed shortly and cringed in pain. 

“I am more likely to die of this shard than of your hand. You will need a pincer, a thread and a needle. Move!”

Julia hesitated no more. She ran into the bathroom for her manicure kit, then searched through the drawers for a needle and a thread. She knelt before Loki, hastily placing small scissors, tweezers and a spool with a white thread on the low glass table. Then the girl darted to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of vodka and a deep bowl.

“You do have an addiction,” Loki said absently, watching her twist off a cap.

“It’s not for me, idiot. It is for you.” Julia poured the liquid into a salad bowl. She handed to Loki a half-full bottle. “Drink!”

The girl threw the tweezers, a needle and a thread into the bowl for disinfection. Loki cursed and took a sip, cringing with the sharp pain pulsating in his abdomen. The fragment of the blade inside him kept sucking out both his magic and his life. The maid’s living room started spinning slowly, and Loki closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his eyelids become strangely heavy.

He woke up to the girl shaking his shoulder, her eyes huge with terror. She pushed a handful of round white drops into his open palm.

“Here. These are all painkillers I have, but they might not be strong enough.” Julia handed him a glass of water, her hand shaking so much that the liquid splashed on his chest and stomach, washing off some blood. “Eat up.”

The Asgardian gave her a mocking look and pushed away the glass. He obediently swallowed the pills and took several sips of vodka, slightly shuddering while he drank.

“I can't believe I am doing this…” Julia moaned, watching him. Loki poured the rest of alcohol on his wound for disinfection and pushed away an empty bottle.  
“Let us begin.” He commanded.

Julia squeezed her eyes shut, fighting an attack of nausea, and decisively reached for the tweezers.

“Hold still,” the girl whispered in a shaky voice and bent forward.

Loki groaned when the metal tweezers dug into his flesh, his eyes closed and the forehead covered in small drops of sweat. Julia could feel the tweezers touch something solid inside the wound. The man jerked when she increased the pressure, and the skin around the cut became blue and ice cold under Julia’s fingers.

“Don't move!” Julia cried out and moved closer, placing herself on the man's lap and trying to catch the shard with the tweezers. 

Loki arched his back and roared, biting his index finger in order to stifle a cry. 

“Be still, be still, please be still,” Julia kept whispering like a mantra, digging her fingers into Loki's shoulder in an attempt to hold him in place and pulling the shard out of the wound. “You are so brave, so strong… If you die in my living room I swear I will slaughter you!”

A big sharp piece of iron fell on the glass table, staining it with blood. The girl let out a shaky breath and dipped her fingers into a bowl, reaching for a needle and a thread. Loki was barely conscious, his breath fast and laboured and head tilted back. Julia bit her lip, sewing the sides of the wound together, the man’s skin so cold it was burning her fingers.

Loki opened his eyes when she was almost done with the sutures. With the shard of the dagger removed he still felt feeble but the pain was bearable. The Asgardian watched Julia place the last stitches. The maid carefully secured the end of the thread with a knot and brushed the hair away from her forehead, leaving a red mark on her cheek. 

“Done,” Julia breathed out with relief and straightened her back. Loki lowered his eyes and frowned. The Midgardian was dressed in a shirt with a familiar symbol on the chest: a round shield of red and blue with a star in the middle - he hadn’t noticed it before. “Whatever poor life choices have lead you to getting a stab wound, it seems that I have saved the day.”

Loki nodded slowly, watching her with an unreadable expression. Julia shifted awkwardly in her place, realizing that she was still sitting on the man’s lap, dressed in very tiny shorts. It did not seem appropriate anymore, since he had regained his consciousness and the surgery had come to an end. 

“Speaking of poor choices,” Loki leaned forward, and suddenly brushed his fingers over Julia's white shirt with a picture of Captain America's shield. “Don't you ever dare wear this again.”

The girl jerked back, startled by the unexpectedly fast move of the wounded man and the sensation of his fingers on her breast. Loki smirked and closed his eyes, tilting his head back on the couch cushions. His body relaxed and his breathing became slower; the Asgardian seemed to have fallen asleep.

Julia looked down at a bloody red mark of Loki's hand on her chest. Indeed, he knew how to put the finishing touch to the conversation. 

\----------

Julia had two and a half hours left before the alarm goes off. There was no point in going back to bed - there was actually no chance she would fall asleep again, so the girl stayed awake. She washed Loki’s blood off her hands, she changed the blood-stained T-shirt, then she considered lifting Loki’s legs on the couch but decided against moving the wounded man and covered him with a thick woolen bedspread instead. The Asgardian was asleep, sedated by a mixture of vodka and painkillers. His breathing was fast but steady, and even though his skin was constantly changing color from azure to white in a strange chameleon-like manner, he did not look like he was going to die. Julia watched him for a longer moment, and then dimmed the ceiling lights and left the living room. 

She did fall asleep after all, curled up on an uncomfortably hard kitchen chair as she waited for the kettle to boil. The girl woke up to the sound of a door shutting down the hall. Julia rubbed her face and limped to check on her patient, feeling pins and needles in her whole body. 

The couch was empty, bedspread she had brought for Loki after he had passed out - crumpled and stained with blood. Someone lightly tugged a lock of her hair, and Julia jumped up in surprise. The girl turned around and her eyes traveled down the man's bare chest and stomach. Loki was awake, shirtless and definitely feeling better. 

“If you die in my living room I will slaughter you?” Loki drawled with a sly look on his face instead of a morning greeting. “Now, you sure have a way with logic.”

Julia could not think of a fitting response. She frowned at the sight of water dripping from Loki’s wet hair and running down the middle of his chest. The skin around the fresh sutures on his side was red and swollen. She wondered if anyone could recover that fast after having lost so much blood, but a couple hours of sleep had the same effect on Loki as at least a week of bed rest would have on a normal human being. The Asgardian stood straight and did not wobble even a tiny bit.

“Did you take a shower?” The girl wearily rubbed her eyes.

The Asgardian nodded. 

“You got the stitches wet, that’s bad,” Julia said absently, realizing that despite being slim Loki had a strong and well-shaped body with firm muscles rolling under the pale skin. She wondered if he shall consider her shameless staring to be rude.

“My tunic is torn and stained with blood, and it seems that the blade which wounded me interfered with my magic, so I cannot transform any of your belongings into something fitting,” he explained, noticing her gaze. His eyes suddenly sparked with glee and mischief. “I hope you do not mind if I stay like this.”

“Your magic is gone?” The girl asked quickly, grateful for a chance to change the subject. _Of course_ she did not mind.

Loki nodded and raised his hand to eye level. He concentrated. For a second his fingers sparked with blue, but then the glimmer was gone. 

“I hope it is not for long.” He said, his voice filled with concern. “It would be unfortunate to be stuck in your Realm after the events of last night…”  
“Yes, about that,” Julia interrupted and quickly glanced at her watch - she was almost late for work. “Now that you are not dying anymore, please care to explain what the hell happened to you, why you had sand on your clothes, and how you got stabbed.”  
“It is a rather long story, I am afraid,” Loki shook his head. “And you have places to be, isn’t it so?”

Julia groaned and rubbed her eyes. She had only enough time left to brush her teeth and change from her pajamas into something more office-like. Loki watched her with attention.

“You did not get enough sleep.” He stated with concern.  
“Does it come as a surprise to you? I had to perform a surgery under extreme conditions instead of sleeping.” The girl replied with a short laugh and decisively walked into the kitchen. “Don’t worry, I will survive, it is only eight hours in the office. If I understand the situation correctly, you cannot leave until you regain your magic? In this case, behave yourself and do the dishes. The fridge is all yours. Come on, I will show you how my stove works…”  
“I am wounded, not retarded,” Loki huffed with annoyance, following her into the kitchen. “I think I am capable of handling your kitchen amenities all by myself.”

Julia giggled, wondering if she will return to find her house burnt to the ground. 

“Go.” Loki showed her towards the door. “When you return, we shall speak. And I promise not to destroy your dwelling.”

Julia was grateful for the commitment, but still she did not feel so sure about the idea of leaving Loki home alone. For the whole day dreadful pictures of a bomb crater in place of her neat house were filling Julia’s head. The girl was too wound up to feel tired and too nervous to work, and she darted out of the office as soon as the clock struck five.

The house was still in its place when she returned. When sticking the key into the hole Julia realized that it would have been a good idea to stop by at the mall and buy a fitting shirt for Loki. Alas, it was too late. She pushed the door open.

The Asgardian sat nicely on the couch, with her laptop open on the coffee table in front of him. Apparently, magic had returned to him, because one of the dark blue curtains was missing, and the man was dressed in a long tunic of the same color. He looked well-rested and healthy. The siren was sleeping peacefully in the cage with its bowl full of cat food, and there was an open package at the table, clearly addressed to Julia.

“Did you kill the mailman?” The girl asked with caution, taking a folded T-shirt out of the package.  
“No,” Loki raised a brow. “To his luck, he was long gone when I checked what was inside the box.”

Julia giggled, crumpling the Iron Man T-shirt in her hands. This was the worst possible timing for her order to arrive. The Asgardian gave her an exasperated look.

“You are not supposed to wear this.” He uttered with displeasure, leaning back into the cushions.  
“Why is that?” Julia huffed, folding the piece of clothing to put it back into the box.  
“Because I do not like it.” Loki grumbled.  
“And what should I wear?” The girl winked at him. “A Loki T-shirt?”  
“I have never heard of something called a... Loki T-shirt,” the man replied slowly, as if he was tasting the words. “But you can just wear none.”

The maid swallowed, staring at him with eyes wide open. Loki smirked, noticing fast pulse on her neck and blush coloring her collarbones framed by a chaste white collar of the shirt. Julia's reaction to his expressly indecent remarks was both funny and arousing, and Loki enjoyed the way her expression reflected the thoughts flying over her head - the thoughts _he_ had placed in her head. He wondered if the maid’s face would give away the reaction of her body to his touch in the same way, if she would blush and bite her lips when his fingers would reach her most sensitive spots. Loki would definitely not mind a chance to find out if she would respond to his caresses with the same passion she always argued with him.

He closed the laptop, breaking the silence with a quiet click.

“It appears to me that your society worships cats.” He said. “Is there any particular reason for this?”  
“Cats are cool.” Julia grinned. “I even thought of getting one myself, but last year I used to stay at work late and it would have been irresponsible, and now it would have been twice irresponsible because I already got myself a siren. Besides, no one would take care of a cat after I die.”

Loki glanced at her attentively.

“Who told you that you will die?” He asked.  
“A gypsy fortune-teller,” the girl replied, finally making a decision to share with him the grim knowledge she had been carrying around for so long. “Her cards showed death, and she said that her cards never lie.”

Loki bit the inside of his cheek.

“I do not want you dead.” He said. The girl huffed.  
“Well, that is very kind of you, but there are always... other factors.” She hugged herself awkwardly.

Loki shook his head and got up from the couch, approaching the girl. He lifted her chin with his finger, forcing Julia to look him in the eyes.

“Let us agree on one thing,” Loki spoke lowly. “When I say that I do not want you dead, this would mean that you have nothing to worry about. I shall not allow any other living being to do you a wrong. Do not dare doubt my words.”

The girl nervously licked her lips. She would never think that a promise not to kill her spoken by someone could sound so arousing. From the other hand, if Loki had told her that she had missed a loan payment and her house would be taken away, the girl would most probably feel the same heavy and hot twist in her lower belly.

“Do you understand me?”

Julia gave him a small nod. The way Loki looked at her lips was extremely distracting.

“I can't hear you, sweet bird,” the Asgardian frowned a bit. Julia shuddered slightly at the sound of a familiar endearment.  
“Yes, Loki,” she breathed out with effort.  
“Good girl,” he crooned and stepped away from her.

Some time ago Julia had tried to define their relationship and failed completely. She could say that Loki was obviously interested in her - she was neither blind nor stupid. She was not going to deny that she was interested as well - if this word was good enough to use for the tight heat at the bottom of her stomach Julia would feel every time he was around. At some point which she failed to register their relation had evolved from hate to strained partnership, and later to _this_. The tension was so intense it was palpable, and it seemed that none of them knew what to do with it, and where to head next. It felt like a spring wound too tightly, about to burst to pieces.

“Your magic is back,” she noticed. Loki grimaced slightly.  
“Scraps of it. I feel almost like one of your race.” He complained grumpily, clearly dissatisfied with the situation. “But it keeps coming back fast. I am not strong enough yet to open the passage back to Asgard, but I am recovering. I expect to be gone before midnight falls.”

Julia nodded, feeling both relieved and disappointed by his estimation. She wondered what would have happened if he had stayed for the night. Anyway, they still had six hours till midnight.

“Dinner,” she declared decisively and marched into the kitchen. There was a clean plate and some cutlery on the dish drainer which meant that Loki did not starve during the day. 

Loki kept her company in silence, lost in his thoughts. He watched Julia throw chopped onions and carrots into a saucepan and boost the fire. Her cooking reminded him of the way healers in the palace prepared elixirs. Each move was well-measured and fast, each ingredient was in its place and the girl would reach for it without even looking at the counter. When the maid sprinkled the salt into the saucepan and generously added some orange powder, the resemblance to cooking a potion became very strong. 

“Chicken curry.” Julia explained, placing the bowls with rice and thick stew on the table.  
“No Midgardian babies, again?” Loki smirked and dipped the spoon into the bowl. “I see that you were not prepared for my visit.”

The girl snorted and slightly kicked him under the table.

“Speaking of your visit… There was something you were supposed to tell me,” she reminded him.  
“Yes, I promised you an explanation.” Loki agreed, cautiously trying the spicy orange sauce. “Too bad I do not have a proper one. Last night I caught a stranger in my chambers. It was one of the faceless men, he was studying my research. I followed him as he tried to escape, and I jumped into the portal right after him. For some reason he was heading to your Realm...”  
“Well, this one is easy,” Julia interrupted him with a shrug. “You said yourself that this place is the only one where the eyes of Heimdall do not reach. If I were a member of an evil cult, I would choose it for a hideout as well.”

The maid had a point. No matter how hard Loki tried to hide his weakness and tiredness, he had to admit that the magical weapon had made him feeble. He had spent the whole day sleeping, and it was difficult for him to concentrate and think logically, so he slowly went on, hoping that the girl would approach the problem from a fresh angle. 

“He pushed me out of the stream and I ended up in a desert with a piece of a magical dagger stuck in my guts. Luckily, I had enough power left to reach your door. Basically, this is the whole story. Since the faceless one had tried to hunt you down I tried to learn more about them, but there are only scraps of information, old legends and tales. This is what he found in my chambers, nothing substantial.”  
“Anyway, it seems that they are not willing to let you learn more about them.” Julia sank into the chair and rested her chin on her folded hands.  
“Correct. Also, I am under impression that the man did not want to kill me. You have seen the faceless one shoot lightnings when he came after you, so you can imagine the extent of their magical powers. Last night the man effortlessly killed a guard during the pursuit and he could have killed me a thousand times, but he spared my life intentionally. I fail to understand why.”

Julia stared at Loki for a longer moment. She felt like something was slipping away from her - something important, something which could shed the light on the recent events.

Loki pulled back when she suddenly jumped up and ran out of the kitchen. He followed the girl into the living room, watching her as she rummaged through the tall bookshelf, mumbling something under her breath.

Finally, Julia slammed a rather thick book on the coffee table and gave Loki a victorious look.

“Poetic Edda*. I bought an English version so that you could take a look at it with me. This is a one thousand years old Norse legend describing the events of Ragnarok. The poem itself is very short, the book mostly consists of interpretations of the myth made by the scholars… Basically, this is our version of your prophesy, and it is somewhat different from what you have told me. You said that the völva saw through your disguise, but still allowed you to hear the prophecy meant for Odin’s ears, and you witnessed the army of the dead rise and flood the Nine Realms. But according to this Norse legend, you are supposed to start Ragnarok, not try to prevent it. Actually, I have mentioned this to you at the beginning of our… acquaintance, but you were paying little attention to me,” she said, giving him a reproving look.  
“This is because I thought of you as annoying, repulsive, loud and despicable creature.” Loki shrugged.

Julia raked an angry glare at the Asgardian. It felt like a kick in the guts, and it hurt like hell. It has already been too long since the last time Loki had been wicked to her, and she should have expected something like this, but his words hit her surprisingly hard. 

“Well, thank you for an honest assessment!” Julia snapped, feeling her lips shake.

Loki must have noticed her distress because he tensed up, watching her closely. He looked confused. 

“Do not consider it an honest assessment, because I do not perceive you like I used to. I do not think you are repulsive or despicable, though I must admit that sometimes you are so annoying I can barely hold myself from silencing you for good. I thought that a change in my… attitude was clear to you.” The Asgardian said quietly, his eyes very serious. “Now, if you are satisfied with my explanation, I suggest you sit down and behave like a sane adult.”

Abashed by his sudden frank confession, Julia stared at Loki in silence. She obediently walked round the table to sit down, feeling a wave of joyful blush sweep over her face. Loki huffed and opened the book, his eyes quickly scanning the text. 

“The Midgardian legend about Ragnarok is nonsense.” He finally said. “It says that I have children though I know for sure I have none. It says that I am the one to steer the ship of the dead which shall sail from Hel to Asgard when the day of Ragnarok comes, but this cannot be true.”

Whether true or not, the myth explained the interest of the faceless death worshipers in Loki. Julia took a pencil and a piece of paper and started scribbling on it, thinking aloud.

“There is a cult of death worshippers in Asgard, which is ancient and creepy and spies on you. And then there is Ragnarok which is a sequence of events leading to the end of all life in the Nine Realms. And then there is you.” The girl drew a small stick figure with two curved horns on the head in the middle of the page. “The faceless ones want you to bring the Nine Realms to destruction, this is why they did not kill you. They need you alive so that you could start the Apocalypse.”

Loki huffed at the sight of her scruffy sketch. He ruffled the book again, a frown crossing his forehead.

“I am not going to lead the legions of the dead to conquer Asgard. It all makes no sense.” He said with certainty. “Whatever the faceless ones want with me, I would never choose to destroy the Nine Realms.”  
“Apparently, they hope you will change your mind and join the dark side,” Julia shrugged. “You know, sometimes all it takes is one bad day.”

\----------

It was quarter to midnight, and Loki was leaving, just as he had promised.

“I am very grateful for your help, Julia,” he said softly and slightly lowered his head in a short bow.  
“I… Welcome.” Julia shrugged awkwardly. She looked at Loki, his movements careful and strained due to the injury, and suddenly laughed out loud, realizing that it was thanks to her doing that he had survived that crazy night. The girl snorted and wiped off tears, and decided to explain herself under his confused gaze. “I will never understand those who like to play doctor and patient. Based on today’s experience I can say that all of them are sick twisted bastards.”

Loki smirked, and did not leave. It could have been unsettling under different circumstances, but to be honest, right now Julia didn't want him to go - and she wondered, whether there was a not very obvious way to tell him that she would not mind if he had stayed for just a little longer. The Asgardian studied her face, and his expression suddenly turned serious.

“In three days the End of Summer celebration shall be held in Asgard.” He said. “It is an ancient tradition reaching to the times when the Kingdom was young. The revelry usually lasts for several days, and thousands of guests arrive from across the allied Realms.”

Julia nodded. 

“Cool.” She replied. In three days it would be Saturday, the best day for holding a party. The girl shifted on her feet. From the disappointed look on the man's face she could tell that he expected a somewhat different reaction from her, but exhaustion had made her mind slow. Loki stared at her expectantly for a longer moment, and then rolled his eyes.

“I am not telling you this because I feel an inexplicable urge to share with you my plans.“ He snapped with irritation, and with surprise Julia saw him clench his hands together in an unconscious, nervous movement. “I intended to say that you can join the celebration, if you find it interesting. If… if you want to.”

Julia blinked a couple of times, processing his words. And then she felt her lips curve into a wide smile. It felt like receiving a letter from Hogwarts - only a thousand times better, her letter turning into a million dollar jackpot. A handsome alien King was asking for her presence at a formal alien celebration in a majestic alien palace. Julia suddenly felt hot, realizing that there was no chance this proposition did not include a bonus tête-à-tête with Loki - and there was no chance she could reject such offer.

“Oh… Really? It’s just… Of course I want…” The girl took a deep breath to calm herself down, the excitement bubbling inside her chest like champagne. She gave Loki a slightly suspicious look. “This time you are not afraid of gossips, are you?”  
“Should I be?” Loki cocked his head to a side, and a predatory look appeared on his face at the memory of her previous visit in the palace, when she had walked through the spacious halls scared and dressed in nothing but his coat. “ If you are planning to arrive naked again, I suggest you warn me in advance. However, I trust your common sense on this one.”  
“You have known me for seven months and you still think I have one?!” Julia smirked, doing her best to stifle a loud victorious cry. “Fine. I accept your invitation, and I promise to be fully dressed.”  
“In this case, be ready at midday, sharp.” Loki replied, copying her sneer.

Julia nodded, feeling her heart pound loudly like a bell. The unbearable tension she had sensed between them for the last several weeks was gone within a moment, since they have finally decided to make a step across the chasm of insecurities, prejudice and reason separating them. It turned out to be so easy, and yet so difficult. It felt so insane, and yet so right. Julia could not say if they would not regret it later, but there was only one sure way to find out. One thing was certain - there was no turning back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Poetic Edda - in case you find it interesting:  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar%C3%B6k
> 
> We all know what is going to happen in the next chapter ^.^ Yes, FINALLY! I think they are ready for this, but are YOU ready? ;)


	21. The Essence of All Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, FINALLY. From now on I shall balance out the amount of Plot and Porn ;) promise!
> 
> This chapter is so beautiful that if I knew how to draw, I would have made every single moment of it into a picture. But I only know how to write, so... enjoy! :)
> 
> P.S. I used Icelandic (All hail Google Translate!) because of all languages currently spoken it is the closest to Old Norse :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I am happy for you, brother! I thought you wanted to kill her?

“Are you feeling better?” Julia studied Loki with attention and moved aside, letting him pass. “Because you do look better.”  
“I have healed completely.” Loki nodded. “Are you ready to leave?”

Suddenly she did not feel ready at all. 

“Almost. What should I wear to an event like this?” Julia asked him nervously. “It is a formal reception, right?”  
“Indeed. I would recommend a dress.”  
“All right…” The girl looked down on her jeans, feverishly thinking if any of her cocktail dresses would be suitable for the occasion. She waved her hand towards the stairs. “Give me a minute, I will…”  
“Not a dress like _that_ ,” Loki rolled his eyes. “Your festive attires please the eyes, but if you join the celebration dressed in something the size of a nightgown, I might be misunderstood by the court.”

Julie felt her cheeks flame with red. 

“Do not worry about the clothing. I have an appropriate gown prepared for you.”

\----------

It was more like a dozen, actually. A pile of dresses in all colors of the rainbow lay on the bed. Julia carefully ruffled the skirts, feeling the delicate fabric under her fingers.

“The servants shall arrive now to adjust the gowns of your choice, would there be such need.” Loki said. Julia nodded, studying the dresses: lemon, red, yellow, azure, pink...  
“No green one?” She asked with surprise, turning to him.  
“No,” Loki smirked. “Take the yellow one. Bright colors look good on you.”

He did not try to kiss her, he did not even as much as touch her. Julia absently turned around on command, allowing the maids to help her fasten a wide tight belt of light silvery metal. She smoothed out the skirt of a bright yellow dress. It all was extremely frustrating.

Loki took her for a look around the palace shortly after the maidens left. He slowly strode by the girl's side along the spacious halls. They were going down from the upper levels of the palace where Loki's chambers were located, and where her room was as well, and the passages were getting more crowded. They squeezed by a group of young maids carrying some cutlery, and the girls lowered their heads with reverence at the sight of Loki. Julia watched them head towards a huge hall and was about to peek inside, but Loki pulled her away.

“The celebration starts at nightfall,” he reminded the girl. “I did not invite you here to watch the preparations.”  
“Sorry.” She smiled. They stopped on top of an enormous wide staircase leading down to the courtyard. “And you do not need to take part in the… preparations? I mean, if you must be somewhere else right now I would not mind.”  
“Today no action is required from my side till the start of celebration.” Loki shook his head. “Though I must confess that the previous several days have been a challenge for me, especially with my sudden disappearance. I had some explaining to do.”  
“What kind of explaining?” Julia asked, wondering how Loki had justified her presence at the event, taking into consideration his previous intention to keep the existence of the Tenth Realm a secret.  
“Thorough, I am afraid.” Loki caught her alert gaze. “I had to tell where I went after the portal had taken me away. The existence of your Realm is no more a mystery for some men that I distrust a little less than others.  
“How many men is it?”  
“Two,” Loki smirked. “Come see the gardens.”

\----------

Asgard was amazing, exceptional, inhumanly magnificent. Every building was enormous, making Julia wonder if a race of giants had not inhabited this place before the Aesir arrived. The royal palace was a beautiful building of peculiar triangle shape with tall slim towers made of pale stone. It had so many halls, chambers, balconies, passages and inner gardens that the girl lost count. The vast park where Loki took her afterwards was cool and shady despite the hot sunbeams falling from the blue sky, and the girl could say with certainty that she loved the place. The only two things preventing Julia from running around in excitement were a long dress and possible disapproval from Loki’s side, but mostly the dress because she could trip. So the girl trode with dignity and listened to Loki as he made her familiar with the current political situation.

“The people of Asgard maintain contact with the dwellers of other Realms, but the closest allies are Alfheim, Vanaheim and Nidavellir which is the home of the Dwarves. These Realms shall be represented at today’s celebration. The rest of lands in the Nine Realms are either at war with Asgard, or not fit for colonization, or too primitive to be of interest as an ally.”  
“So, there won’t be anyone from… the Other Earth?” Julia tried to imagine Iron Man in a full suit with a curved drinking horn in his hand, hitting on women in long Renaissance gowns.  
“No.” Loki replied shortly.  
“Why not? Not that I was trying to make you change your mind, I just want to understand the reason. There used to be contacts between Asgard and Midgard in the past, there are numerous Norse legends about the Aesir race - they called you Gods…”  
“You are right, the contacts with Midgard in the past used to be rather intense.” Loki agreed with her. “There are always certain places where it is easier to break through the dimensions separating the Realms, and this is where the Aesir men used to descend most often.”  
“Scandinavia,” Julia nodded. “You mentioned running away with Thor to hunt the trolls.”  
“Correct. But the planets change places. The Realm of men had moved further from Asgard about nine hundred years ago, and opening a portal to travel to Midgard became more time-consuming that it used to be. In order to save time and efforts, the merchants and warriors turned their attention to Alfheim.”

Loki’s words made sense - indeed, at that time Christianity was gaining more and more influence in the region, and old legends of glorious Norse Gods started to slowly fade to obscurity, probably because of a decrease in contacts.

“So, you used to trade with us?” The girl asked.  
“Do not take any offence, but the goods Midgardians could offer to Asgardian merchants were rather primitive and crude.” Loki smirked in response. “Mostly, Asgardian men would descend to your Realm to have fun. They would hunt, feast, court the maidens, even start families.”  
“Was it always one way?”  
“You mean, did the Midgardian women travel to Asgard? That was a rather rare thing, though it did happen from time to time. Such relations never lasted long, because a life of a human being is like a glimpse of an eye for an Aesir. There is certainly a way to increase longevity of a human life and make it match the lifespan of the Asgardians, but there had never been a precedent when both the man and the woman wanted to do it. Both parties preferred to stick with their own kin in the end, and the women of your Realm never stayed long enough to get old. They used to return back to Midgard carrying with them rich gifts and stories of a land of heroes and Gods. Mostly the maidens used to come here as… playthings, mistresses, and they wanted nothing more and they got nothing more.”

Julia felt strange emptiness grow inside her stomach. What did he want her to be? What did she want to be? The urge to somehow define the current status of their relationship became almost vital. Julia nurtured a faint hope that with at least one thing clear it would become easier for her to carry on in the complex world. The girl took a deep breath.

“Why am I here?” She asked sharply, looking straight ahead of her. The girl could hear how Loki’s footsteps changed after her question. He lightly tugged her sleeve, making Julia stop.  
“You are here because you are my guest.” The man replied uneasily after a longer pause. “Because I want you to be here.” 

He suddenly narrowed his eyes, looking at something - or someone - behind her back.

“Loki!” A loud voice called, and Julia saw Loki’s expression change from preoccupied to slightly annoyed and then to politely indifferent within a glimpse of an eye.

The girl turned and saw a long-haired blonde giant in a short-sleeved tunic and light armour walk towards them. It was Thor, without a doubt. The man stopped by their side and studied Julia with a wide friendly grin.

“Thor?” Loki raised a brow, but the man ignored him completely.  
“I could not believe my ears at first,” he said and stretched a hand forward. “But when Fandral told me that my brother is hosting a female guest who arrived to Asgard wearing men’s pants, I knew it would be you.”  
“Thor.” Loki repeated.  
“You are the Midgardian from the invisible Tenth Realm, who enslaved my brother.” Loki by their side hissed quietly, obviously displeased by the wording. Julia felt uneasy herself.  
“I prefer to call it cooperation.” She said, gingerly placing her hand into Thor’s palm. “Julia, nice to meet you.”  
“The pleasure is all mine,” Thor assured and glanced at Loki. _“Ég samgleðst þér, bróðir! Ég hélt að þú vildir að drepa hana? *”_

The Thunder God laughed out loud, as if he had made a hilarious joke, and gave his step-brother a cordial tap on the shoulder that would have caused every ordinary human to collapse on his knees. Loki shortly barked at him in response. Julia listened to the sharp sounds of unfamiliar language, watching the two Asgardians with interest. They were strikingly different from each other, not only in the looks, but also in behaviour, and it was hard to believe that both men had been brought up by the same parents. Unlike Loki, Thor was completely relaxed, and there was no sign of suspicion or mistrust in his eyes as he spoke to Julia, even though he had just met her. There was no anxious frown crossing his forehead either. The girl suddenly remembered, how much younger Loki looked when he had accidentally drunk the leprechaun’s elixir and forgotten all his troubles. 

“Please forgive my brother,” Loki snapped with irritation, waking Julia from her thoughts. “He does not know that you do not understand our language.”

Apparently he knew it well, because Thor’s smile grew wider as Loki spoke, and the blonde man looked like he was about to say something else with an obvious intention to make Loki feel uneasy.

“Time for us to return.” Loki continued, giving his brother a warning look. “This shall be enough of talking. We shall meet soon at the celebration. Brother?”

Thor nodded, his eyes sparkling with laughter. The dark-haired man sharply turned on his heels and headed back towards the palace. Julia waved at Thor with an apologetic smile before following Loki. After a minute or so of fast march she slowed down to snail’s pace and coughed meaningfully, reminding the Asgardian of her presence. Loki glanced at her over the shoulder with irritation, but walked slower. 

“I want to see the Rainbow Bridge.” Julia said bravely. ”If you don’t mind.”  
“Fine.” Loki agreed very easily. Apparently, they were not as much in a hurry as he had tried to demonstrate to his brother. “We visit the watchtower, and it shall be enough exploring for today. The sunset is near. We both must get dressed for the celebration.”  
“More dressed?!” Julia laughed in disbelief and spun around. “Isn't this dress good enough?! I mean, it is gorgeous!”

Loki glanced at her with amusement and pity.

“Poor creature, I understand your confusion, but believe me, this gown is not good enough for a festivity like today’s. Neither is this hairdo.” He lightly tugged a lock of her hair which had fallen out of the messy bun. “Remember that you are the only representative of Midgard here… both Midgards. It is your duty to make a good impression.”

They approached a long low building resembling an aircraft hangar at the back of the palace. Loki gave a short order to one of the guards by the door. The warrior bowed and disappeared inside. A moment later the heavy door slid to a side, and a flying boat emerged from inside the hangar - a real, huge wooden boat with a metal prow and two round turbines located at the back of the vessel. It stopped by their side, rocking a little from side to side. Julia felt her jaw drop.

Loki bit his lip, watching her reaction. “Get on,” he commanded. “It is the fastest way to get to the observatory.”

Julia clenched her hands on the ship's side when it started off. The vessel flew over the buildings at full speed, heading towards the bay sparkling in the sunlight. The boat glided low above the water along the straight bridge glimmering with all colors of the rainbow. It was leading towards a small round building at the edge of a waterfall.

Loki jumped off the boat and hid his hands in the pockets, waiting for Julia to walk down the ladder slowly sliding out of the boat’s side. The girl nervously smoothed her hair, following the Asgardian into the golden dome of the watchtower.

The observatory was unexpectedly spacious, probably due to complete lack of furnishing. In the centre of it there was a podium with a control panel and several levers. A broad-shouldered figure turned to them when Loki and Julia walked through the door.

The man was so tall that Loki looked like a child by his side. Dressed in a shining golden armour, Heimdall towered over both of the visitors like a majestic ancient statue. He greeted the acting Allfather with a short nod and rested his gaze on Julia. 

“The Midgardian.” The man rumbled. Julia tilted her head back to see his face, wondering why everyone in Asgard is so tall. The man’s eyes were of amber color, contrasting with the dark skin in a peculiar way. The guardian did not seem startled by their unexpected visit.  
“He knows where you come from.” Loki explained. “He and Thor. ”

Apparently, those were the two men he mistrusted a little less than the others. Loki tossed his head, urging Julia to follow. The girl scurried after him, looking over the shoulder a couple of times at the guardian with the bizarre orange eyes. They approached a round opening in the wall. When Julia peeked down, she expected to see the waterfall and the bubbling water deep down, but there was nothing, only darkness and silence. They stood at the edge of the world, above the bottomless abyss. The blackness was so thick that it seemed palpable. Julia felt her heart pound fast and made an effort to look away. She hugged herself, wondering what Loki must have felt when falling into the pitch-black void.

Heimdall slowly nodded to her when their eyes met.

“We shall see each other again.” He uttered and moved aside, letting the two of them walk out of the watchtower.

“Is it a way to say goodbye in Asgard?” Julia asked as they approached the ship. Loki huffed.  
“No. I believe it was a statement. He is the All-seeing One, after all.”  
“What does it mean? Is it his job title, or does he really see everything happening in the Nine Realms? I mean… _everything_?”  
Loki quickly glanced at her and a devilish grin curved his lips. “Indeed, he does. The guardian of the Bifrost sees the past, the present and the future of every living being in the Nine Realms.”

Julia turned away from the ladder sliding down from the boat and pulled Loki’s sleeve, making him stare at her in wonder.

“This is it!” She cried out. “We will go back and ask him nicely, how to stop Ragnarok. Heimdall will look into the future and tell us. You will get a clear instruction what to do to prevent it!”

Loki shook his head and laughed. Julia watched him with confusion. He looked as if she had said something incredibly stupid.

“Trust me, sweet bird, I share your love of simple solutions,” Loki breathed out, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “But this is not how it works. Heimdall shall not reveal the future to anyone - not because he is reluctant to help, but because he is not allowed to intervene. Heimdall sees it all: every possibility, every way the events can go - an infinite range of options, things that will come and things that will not. After each of us makes one choice, several alternative paths cease to exist, but a number of new ones appear. It all flies before his eyes as we speak. Most likely, if anyone would ever try to shoulder the burden of Heimdall’s vision, the poor fool would go crazy at once.”

\----------

“I have no idea what you are saying, but thank you very much,” Julia smiled at a young maid who secured her hair with a long pin. She carefully got up from the low chair while the servants were putting the needles and threads back into a small box. The girl slowly walked towards a tall mirror, doing her best not to step on a long skirt.

What she saw in the looking glass exceeded her wildest expectations. The dress was long and soft, made of cobalt blue silk, with a deep round neckline and wide long sleeves. The bodice was richly embroidered with gold threads and seed-pearls. Julia smiled and spun around, watching the long skirt swirl.

A short knock made her jump. The girl took a deep breath.

“Come in!”

Loki pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. Julia studied the Allfather’s full-dress with interest: the man wore a light ceremonial golden armour and the familiar helmet with two long curved horns. His shoulders were wrapped in a cloak of dark emerald color. 

_Not that a fine dress could make you look any better_ \- the girl recalled Loki’s disdainful words, and cocked a brow, watching his reaction in the mirror. The Asgardian stared at her with a slightly abashed look on his face. He slowly walked closer and stood behind her back, and Julia could not look away from their reflections in the tall looking glass: both distant and too beautiful to be real.

“What do you think?” She asked Loki's reflection, feeling a nervous tremor not because of the celebration she was about to attend, but because of what the man might say.  
“This dress looks good on you,” Loki said hoarsely and took one more step forward. Julia felt his hot breath in her hair. If she had as much as leaned back, her body would have been pressed to his. The man carefully tucked a lock under her hairpin and let his fingers slide down Julia's neck. The girl slightly tilted her head to a side, letting Loki trace the line of her shoulder.  
“The dress looks good?” Julia drawled and narrowed her eyes, giving the man in the mirror a teasing look. The Asgardian bit the inside of his cheek and then laughed quietly.  
“You look good,” he acknowledged, taking his hand away, and Julia felt a proud smile grow on her lips. “It is time to go.”

The beams of setting sun were falling from tall windows and coloring the walls and floor with pink as Julia slowly trode down the spiral staircase by Loki’s side, carefully holding the long skirt up in one hand. 

“The End of Summer is the most important celebration of the year. After this day traditionally the plowmen start gathering crops. First there is a short formal part - talking,” Loki explained. “Unfortunately, there is no spell which could make you understand our language overnight, so try not to get bored.”

They stopped by the doors. A loud hum of voices was coming from inside the hall, meaning that the guests have gathered. Julia swallowed nervously as she watched the two guards bow their heads before Loki and open the wide doors. The Asgardian quickly glanced at the girl and sneered.

“Don't be shy, sweet bird.” He said and slightly squeezed her palm in his fingers. The girl took a deep breath and followed him through the doors into the brightly lit chamber.

They walked inside and Julia almost tripped. Apparently, her concept of a formal evening reception did not match Loki’s. 

The girl expected a formal party with guests freely moving around the hall, where she would grab herself a drink and sit in the corner, attracting as little attention as possible and contemplating beautifully dressed Asgardians, maybe chat a little with someone who speaks English if she is lucky to find such person. Alas, instead of a stand-up soirée she ended up at a banquet. There were long tables laden with food and drinks of all kinds. The court and guests were seated along the tables on wide wooden benches, and all turned towards the door when Loki walked in. Julia’s eyes traveled around the richly decorated hall, over the banners hanging from the walls and golden spheres floating under the tall ceiling, and the girl realized that the only empty seats were at the head table on a podium: a heavy throne obviously meant for the King, and a chair to his right.

Allfathers leading random maidens to sit by their side was clearly not a common practice in Asgard - Julia could tell it from the silence which filled the chamber. Even if Loki had mentioned to someone her presence at the celebration, he clearly had not revealed to anyone that they would come together - anyone, including _her_.

With calm certainty and an unreadable expression on his face the Asgardian strode towards the table and pulled her chair out. Julia sank into the seat, feeling all eyes on her and wondering what had caused more surprise - the fact that a Midgardian woman accompanied Loki, or the fact that the Allfather had brought a girl to the celebration, or maybe both. A quiet hum filled the place, and at this moment Julia was glad she did not understand a single word. Thor seated by the Allfather’s left side sent her a reassuring smile.

Loki took off his helmet, placing it on the table by her side, and the girl noticed his eyes sparkle brightly with pride and joy. At this moment Julia realized that it was the first time he would open the celebration not in Odin’s disguise, but as himself. The girl smiled widely, excited by the fact that Loki had chosen to share the day of his triumph with her. She leaned forward, watching him walk towards the centre of the hall and forgetting the nervous tremor from a moment ago. Loki addressed the guests, and his loud voice filled the place, echoing from the walls. Julia did not need to understand the words to see how much this moment meant for him. A curved drinking horn floated towards Loki, and the man caught it, saluting the guests with a brilliant wide smile - and the people responded with a deafening cheerful roar. The young acting Allfather was definitely loved in Asgard, despite his past deeds. 

The official part of the event was over with Loki’s short speech. Thor got up from his seat to join a group of three warriors by one of the side tables. A bearded ginger man moved aside to make room for Thor on a wide bench, and impatiently pulled closer a plate with a whole roasted pig. Sounds of music and singing filled the place. Several men in richly decorated Oriental-fashioned attires approached Loki, and he summoned goblets with wine from the nearest table. They strode along the long hall, engaged in a quiet discussion.

Julia tried a piece of tender roasted fowl, sipping the wine from a heavy golden goblet. There was a bizarre glimmer in the air - as if a thousand tiny fireflies were floating above the heads of the guests. The girl accidentally pushed a knife with her elbow and as it fell on the floor, she moved her chair away from the table, feverishly trying to recall if at a banquet like this she is supposed to pick the cutlery up by herself, or wait for the servants to help.

And then the girl froze. There was no floor below her feet, no basement, no solid ground. Instead, Julia saw the roots of an enormous tree, thick and tangled, reaching deep into the ground and into the very foundation of the world. She witnessed the endless space with black holes slowly swirling and bright flashes of comets streaking the darkness, and a small blue sphere - Earth - somewhere far below.

Julia blinked, and the hallucination was gone as unexpectedly as it had clouded her mind. The girl raised her glass with a shaky hand and took a big sip. She saw Loki walk towards her, his skin cobalt blue and his face suddenly softer and younger.

Julia swallowed, staring at him in wonder and shock. The Asgardian studied her with attention.

“Are you feeling well?” He asked. Julia slowly shook her head, unsure how to explain to him her current state.

“I had only a little wine. Why do I feel like I have been drinking for a week?” She mused, cupping her chin with her palm. Loki effortlessly pulled the chair further from the table and crouched by her side. The girl leaned forward and whispered. “I started seeing very weird things. There is no floor, the world is spinning, and you are blue. And I think I’m gonna faint.”

She tried to get up but Loki held her, and the girl sank back into the chair. She moaned and buried her face in the palms.

“You do not seem like you could walk straight,” Loki chuckled. The man looked around and made a fast movement with his fingers. The hum of voices, sounds of music and laughter became muted. Loki carefully picked Julia up and headed towards the tall double-leaf door, carrying the girl in his hands.

Julia sighed and placed one hand on the man’s shoulder. No one seemed to have noticed that the King was walking away, but when Julia turned her head to look at the throne, it was not empty. She caught a glimpse of Loki’s lookalike in the festive attires richly decorated with gold. The duplicate glanced over his shoulder and with a small smirk saluted Julia with his goblet. They were leaving the guests in safe hands.

The wide doors closed behind the Asgardian as he strode out of the hall. Julia tilted her head back, and the spinning world turned upside down. 

“The walls are moving,” She laughed and waved her hand in the air, trying to catch a floating golden lantern above her head.  
“No, we are moving.” Loki said patiently. “This happens sometimes when you walk.”

Julia snorted and lifted her head. She wrapped her hands around the man’s neck to hold on to him.

“You are laughing at me,” she said disapprovingly and stuck out her bottom lip.  
Loki glanced at her and sneered. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Julia bit her lip and slowly rose her hand. She carefully touched Loki’s hair and brushed her fingers down his azure cheek and neck, feeling her fingertips turn numb with cold.

“You are hot.” The girl giggled. She had never felt more drunk before. “And cold. This is funny.”  
“Hilarious,” the man sighed. Julia closed her eyes and her hand slid lower. She pressed an open palm to the middle of his chest covered by the shining golden armour.  
“I can feel your voice right here when you speak.” She whispered with a smile and opened her eyes. Loki stopped abruptly as if he had hit the wall. He was staring straight at her, his eyes feverishly sparkling with red.  
“Stop this,” he ordered shortly.  
“W-what?” Julia blinked without understanding. Loki loudly sucked in the air.  
“ _This._ ” He breathed out and rushed down the passage so fast the world around Julia spinned again. 

She must have blacked out for a short moment, because when the girl opened her eyes they were already in her room. Loki lowered her on the bed and waved his hand in the air to dim the ceiling lights. 

“What the hell happened to me? Did you give me roofies?” Julia moaned and rubbed her face. “Not that you needed to…”  
Loki huffed and sat on the edge of her bed. He carefully pulled the pin out of Julia's hair, letting the locks fall on her shoulders. “I believe that what is happening to you is an effect of a magical intoxication.”  
“There is no such thing,” Julia narrowed her eyes with suspicion. “You just made it up!”  
“The name - yes, but not the symptoms.” Loki reached to the low ottoman by the bed for a folded blanket. “It happens sometimes when the person new to magic gets close to its very powerful source, like the Yggdrasil, especially on a day like this. The folk of Asgard is used to the high concentration of magic, only the most sensitive ones might sometimes feel a headache, but you were affected in a very interesting way.”

Julia groaned with irritation and tried to sit up, but failed. Loki laughed shortly and covered her with a blanket, pulling it up to her neck.

“If the magic affected me, does it mean that now I can cast awesome spells?” She asked.

Loki smiled and shook his head.

“No, but most likely you will get a headache. What were you talking about back at the hall? You said you saw strange things.”  
“I saw the roots of the tree,” Julia gave up on her attempts to sit and shifted in the bed, getting more comfortable. “And the darkness below.”  
“All right,” Loki nodded. “Anything else?”  
“You were blue and very cold.” She said. “You still are…”  
“Interesting.” Loki studied her with curiosity.  
“Any explanation?” Julia frowned.  
“You have a bad habit of asking very difficult questions,” he chuckled. “I would assume that the influence of magic has allowed you to see the essence of things surrounding you, their true nature. The roots you saw must be those of Yggdrasil, they hold our world and the rest of the Nine Realms in place. And as for my appearance... If the rest of the guests had been able to see beyond my usual cover the atmosphere at the banquet would have been far more strained.”

The girl nodded.

“What now? Will the effect of magic wear off?”  
“Yes, I believe that by tomorrow morning both your body and your mind shall get used to the flow of magic. You need to sleep now.” Loki said.  
“Are you kidding me?! I didn't come to an alien celebration to sleep,” Julia stubbornly bit her lip and pushed the blanket down. Loki watched her with amusement as she sat up and kicked him with her knee in an attempt to push the man off the bed. “Come on, move! Get up! We’re going back to the party.”  
“No, sweet bird, I am afraid you shall be staying here.” He said firmly. “Trust me, there shall be nothing exciting further on, only a bunch of men and women getting more drunk and more loud.”

Julia watched him get up. She bit her lip and caught Loki's sleeve, and the man froze in his place.

“You are leaving already?” She gave the man a puzzled look.  
“I am afraid that my absence at the first day of the festivities is unacceptable.” He replied and slowly sat back down. “I must return to the guests, and you must rest.”  
“Please, stay.” Julia asked quietly and lightly tugged his sleeve. Loki closed his eyes.  
“Stop this.” He growled.

The girl quickly took her hand away, startled by the menacing sound of his voice. Loki glanced at her and suddenly sharply pulled Julia closer. His lips covered hers in a fast rough kiss, passionate and burning like fire. Julia whimpered at the sensation of his hot tongue inside her mouth and ice cold lips pressed to hers. 

The Asgardian broke the kiss and pushed the girl back, pinning her wrists to the bed with his hands and pressing his body to hers. His face was so close that their noses touched.

“I said, you stay here,” Loki breathed out, looking her in the eyes. Julia nervously licked her lips. “Will you listen to me, sweet bird, or should I tie you to this bed?”

Julia slowly shook her head, unable to look away from the hypnotizing red of his eyes. Loki smirked and planted a short kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Good girl.” He purred. 

Loki let go of her and got up from the bed. Julia rubbed her wrists where he had touched her, warming the cold skin. She yawned and curled up on her side, watching Loki walk towards the door.

“Sleep. I shall see you tomorrow.” He said softly and closed the door behind his back.

Julia blinked, feeling her eyelids get heavy. She did not expect to fall asleep so fast.

\----------

A tray with food was on the table when Julia woke up. She barely touched the breakfast and paced the room, unsure what to do with her life which did not become any less complex after Loki had kissed her the night before. He kissed her and then he just fled. The girl grabbed an orange linen dress and hurried to the bathroom for a shower. She did not have very much time left, and there was something she really needed to sort out with Loki before leaving. 

Julia did not find a clock in the room, but it clearly was very early. The sun was still low above the ground, and through the window she could see a transparent haze in the air after the cool night. The girl decisively marched down the wide passage, braiding her wet hair as she walked. She passed an open gallery, peeked into a huge room with racks full of weapons on the walls. After almost half an hour of wandering Julia got lost, which was quite an expected outcome. She cursed and leaned over a wall somewhere between two absolutely identical huge chambers, defeated by the scale of Asgardian architecture and lack of palace maps for newcomers. 

It probably was not a big deal - she could find Loki later, or rather he would come and find her, but for some reason it felt important to speak with him now, while she was still brave enough to confront him and demand an honest answer, and while the palace halls were still empty and quiet.

“One floor up, two doors to your left, walk through the garden. There is an old throne hall, no more in use.” Julia jumped up at the sound of a low voice. Heimdall stood a few steps away, contemplating the girl with interest. She frowned with suspicion and was about to ask what he was talking about, but changed her mind. He was the All-seeing One, after all.  
“Thanks,” she replied and hurried towards a wide spiral staircase.

Did he know what shall happen after she finds Loki? Did he know what they will say to each other? Was it important? A thousand questions were flying over Julia’s head, as she ran up the stairs. If Heimdall sees all possible variants of the future, why did he help her pull this single thread from the ravel of infinite possibilities? 

She found him in a huge empty hall which looked a little neglected - copper and golden ornaments were dull with lack of polishing, and there were no guards by the entrance. Loki sat on the throne with his legs crossed, peacefully reading a book and dressed in everyday dark pants, tunic and a long leather waistcoat, his skin pale human again. Julia walked through the wide open doors. The Asgardian raised his eyes and greeted the girl with a short nod.

“This part of the palace is no longer in use - the halls are too small. It is quiet in here,” he explained and slammed the book closed. “It is so early that most of the guests are still asleep, but at midday the celebrations shall resume. Are you feeling better?”  
“Yes,” she answered shortly and nervously clenched her hands together. Loki frowned at the sight of her hesitation.  
“Is something wrong?” He asked, standing up.  
“Yes!” Julia cried out and marched towards him across the throne hall. 

Loki waved his hand, and the wide doors behind her back shut at his silent order. Julia clenched her teeth together as she watched the Asgardian come down to her from the podium. He stopped and locked his hands behind his back, watching her alertly. The girl took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. 

“Do you want to fuck me?”

There was silence for a longer moment. Julia opened her eyes and met the man's confused gaze. Loki stood in silence, obviously startled by her unexpectedly honest question.

“Yes, I do,” he said slowly.  
“Then why the hell did you not?!” The girl spat out impatiently, almost crying with frustration and anger.

Loki seemed mixed-up and lost, and he took a longer pause before responding.

“Did you expect me to bed you while you were intoxicated by the magic and barely conscious?” He finally spoke with vexation. “And you are surprised that I did not do it?! I cannot believe you think so lowly of me.”  
“I…” The girl blinked, realizing how stupid her claim was. “I just…”  
“Trust me, sweet bird, my wish to make you mine is so strong I can barely think of anything else when you are near,” Loki uttered in a voice so low it was almost a growl. Julia gulped for air, hypnotized by the predatory look on the man’s face. “And I want to fuck you till you beg me for a moment of rest. But I want you to remember every single moment of it, and I want you to desire it as much as I do.”  
“Then what are you waiting for?” Julia whispered, helplessly looking him in the eyes.

That was it. They both have finally dared to voice what they craved, they both have gathered enough courage to strip down to the truth and stand before each other, shivering in the bright beams of the morning sun, their souls completely naked and unprotected. But they still waited for something. 

Loki moved his fingers, and the heavy bolt fell down into the sockets with a loud clang, locking the door. The sound of it broke the dead silence, and they rushed forward simultaneously. Loki caught Julia into his embrace and lifted her off the floor, kissing the girl with vigor and passion. She wrapped her hands around his neck and moaned into the man’s lips, pressing her body against his and trembling with the overwhelming feeling of completion. Their tongues kept clashing fervently and wildly, as Loki walked towards the throne, carrying the girl in his hands. He nibbled Julia’s lip with his teeth and lowered himself on the throne, placing the girl on his lap and cradling her back with his palms. 

They both pulled back for a short moment, panting heavily and watching each other closely. Loki stripped off the tunic and smiled at the girl. He ran his lips and nose down Julia’s neck, savouring the touch and breathing in the scent of her skin. He felt her fingers tighten in his hair and growled quietly, placing gentle bites over her skin while his palms frantically travelled up and down the girl’s body, pulling the long skirt up.

Julia took off the dress and let it slide down on the floor by the throne, and the Asgardian sucked in a deep breath, mesmerized by the way her creamy skin contrasted with the dark lace of the underwear - small, transparent, indecent and extremely arousing. He cupped her breast with his palm, gently squeezing it through the delicate fabric and watching the girl arch her back and push into his hand, craving for more of his touch. 

Julia licked her dry lips and concentrated her gaze on Loki’s face. She slid her palms down his stomach and pulled the wide leather belt, unfastening it with hesitant moves. The girl got up from the man's knees, and Loki slightly lifted his thighs, allowing Julia to pull off his clothing. The girl slid her palms up his body and knelt before the man, pressing her open lips against his navel and moving them up to his chest, covering the pale skin with kisses. She placed a gentle kiss over a fresh pink scar on his side, and Loki shuddered at the sensation. The muscles of his abdomen hardened under the touch of her lips and tongue. Julia locked her palm around his shaft, slowly stroking the velvety skin. Her lips traveled down the man’s stomach, and the girl lowered her head to circle the tip of his erect member with her tongue. Loki growled and arched his back, clutching his fingers on the armrests of the throne, shuddering as Julia’s hot tongue flicked against his cock and her lips closed tightly around his shaft. The sensation was close to ecstasy.

“Julia,” Loki grunted, tangling his fingers into her hair. 

What he had confessed to her was true. He desired the maiden so much that the simple sensation of her touch sent shivers up his spine, let alone the feeling of her lips caressing him. Loki caught Julia’s wrists, forcing her up. He pulled down her underwear and made the girl straddle on top of him. The man fisted her hair and kissed her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and going crazy over the sensation of her wetness pressed against his erection. Julia dug her nails into his shoulders, shamelessly rubbing her crotch against his, her eyes half-closed and clouded with desire. Loki leaned to her ear.

“Fuck me,” he ordered and nuzzled her earlobe.

Julia pulled back from him and frowned, concentrating on his words.

“What?” She breathed out with surprise. Loki did not seem like the type of man willing to give up control.  
“Fuck me,” Loki repeated with a smirk. He rocked his hips forward, moisturizing the tip of his cock against the girl’s slick folds and pressing himself to her opening, “I want you on top of me.”

Julia took a deep breath and leaned forward for a kiss, stroking his bare chest and shoulders, and then suddenly frowned, her eyes focused and troubled.

“No, wait, I…” She backed off. “I am not on birth control. We can’t...”

Loki caught her chin with his fingers, giving Julia a serious look.

“I have no intention to burden you with a child, sweet bird,” he spoke. “Do not be worried about this.”

Loki kissed her slowly and gently, and his hand cupping the girl’s face moved down to caress her breast. Julia slightly squirmed on top of him and obediently lowered herself onto his cock, clenching to the man’s shoulders as she was getting used to the sensation of his length inside her. Loki lowered his hands onto her waist to hold the girl in place as he started moving, slowly thrusting into her. Julia moaned, pressing herself to the man’s chest and feeling waves of heat sweep through her whole body.

Loki hissed and glared at the girl with displeasure, when she suddenly pushed his hands away from her waist. Julia laughed and gave him a teasing look.

“You wanted me to fuck you,” she puffed and placed an open-mouth kiss on his neck. “Be still.”

Loki sneered, obeying the girl as she covered his palms with hers, pressing them to the armrests of the throne. He could have overpowered her easily, but the Asgardian chose to play along, giving in to the maid and letting her take control. He leaned forward and placed a hungry kiss on her breast, as the girl moved on top of him. The man watched Julia close her eyes and tilt her head back as she rocked her hips back and forth, making notice of the way her face changed when his member reached her sensitive spot.

Loki freed himself of her grip when the girl’s movements became quicker. He gripped her thighs, drawing Julia closer and pushing into her with force, causing the girl to whimper and squirm in his embrace. Julia moaned lowly, shivering on top of him as the muscles of her womb clenched around his shaft, and Loki did not hold himself anymore. His movements grew fast and frantic, and the man emptied himself inside her with a growl, pressing the girl’s heated body to his.

They both grew still, relishing in the sensations and breathing heavily. Julia relaxed on top of Loki and lazily blinked, watching dust dance in the sunbeams falling from the tall windows. The man’s fingers were running up and down her spine, gently stroking her skin. 

“I’d say that it was… _divine_ ,” she giggled and rubbed her cheek over Loki’s chest. The God of Mischief huffed in response.

Julia shifted a little on top of him and with surprise felt the man get hard again, still inside her. The Asgardian buried his fingers in her hair, pulling the girl closer for a kiss. He made one short thrust, and Julia rocked her hips into him with a low moan. Loki chuckled with delight, watching her body respond to him so easily.

“We are not done here yet, sweet bird,” he panted before covering her lips with another kiss.


	22. Deep Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear All,  
> I bring you a "jealous Loki" chapter full of emotions, feelings and important life choices. ^^  
> I hope you like it! ;) please do leave a comment!

_I have caged you_  
_You have caged me_  
_But baby if you cage me_  
_Don’t you know you’ve got to feed me?_

_Medicine Boy, The Strange In Me_

\----------

“The time has come.” The man in the middle of the circle spoke, and the triumphant sound of his voice was ringing loud over the small mountain plato open to all four winds.  
“All figures must be in place,” the dark silhouettes replied, and one could almost hear a faint echo of a woman’s whisper as the words fell.

The ground was slightly shaking under the feet of those gathered on top of a mountain, but the men had no fear of the quake and the distant rumble of stones. The undead ones have nothing to dread in the land of the living. 

“The beasts have woken up. This world shall reach its place in line with the others soon, and we cannot miss the day. He shall play his part, and She will reign over the Realms of the living, as it was meant to be.”

The hooded figures lowered their heads. They have waited long for the moment of their triumph, and now the day was approaching. It seemed like the gathering was over, but the man in the middle did not give the command to leave yet, and the cloaked figures around him patiently waited. Finally, the man turned to one of the faceless worshipers. The rest of the hooded figures took a step back, circling the two of them.

“She is disappointed.” The voice was plain, but the words were filled with threat. “You traded magical weapons with the humans, and he learned about us. Even though you retrieved the evidence, the accident made him search for answers.”  
“I…”  
“Then you left him in Midgard to die. Your carelessness and greed exposed us, and your negligence almost cost him life. We cannot allow any more complications.”

The faceless ones knew the meaning of these words all too well. The guilty man darted to a side, like a frightened animal chased into the corner, but the circle around became tighter. There was no escape.

“Please, my Lady,” the man fell on his knees, turning his face to the dark skies above. The howl of the wind grew louder, and one could hear a triumphant woman’s laughter, melodic and cold. “Have mercy!”

But death knows no mercy, and a strong blow to the centre of the chest caused the man to collapse on his back. With one more gust of wind the snow swirl formed into a faint tall figure of a woman, towering over the hooded worshipers and the dark mountains. The ghost leaned forward and brushed a bodiless hand over the man’s face in a light, almost caring touch - and the victim screamed in agony as the last shadow of life was taken from his body. His limbs shook convulsively and his skin shriveled at once. The faceless one met with the one he served.

The soft blue glimmer lit up the stones and the motionless body on the ground. One by one, the faceless men were leaving the stone plato through a portal. The remains of the one who had failed his mistress were desiccating with unnatural speed, until there were only hollow bones left.

\----------

While the manager's away, the mice will play. The employees of the Customer Service Department were savouring each moment of the lazy day, well aware of the fact that when autumn comes there will be no time to loaf around. That being so, they tasted and ranked all candy bars available in the office vending machine. They laughed and did stupid stuff, enjoying the warm August sun, and they shared the holiday plans - well, not all of them, because Julia had none to share. Her days of paid holiday could not be wasted, because there still were monsters to hunt.

The girl missed a part of a conversation as she imagined a warm sandy beach and water washing her bare feet. When she turned to the colleagues, Cristian and Barbara were giggling over the pictures of the worst tattoos ever, with their heads low over the laptop screen.

“I wonder what all these people were thinking...” Barbara huffed and suddenly pointed at Julia. “She's got one, too. Come on, show him! Can you imagine, she got into a gang and didn’t invite me to join!”  
“It is not exactly a tattoo.” Julia corrected her with a smile and unbuttoned the cuff of her shirt.  
“But you have nothing against me saying that you are in a gang,” Barbara laughed and pushed Julia with her elbow, and the girl almost spit out her coffee. “By the way, how is your Norwegian guy?”  
“Fine. He is fine.” Julia said quickly, feeling butterflies in her stomach at the very memory of how she had spent the weekend. He was more than fine, he was _incredible_.

The girl rolled up her sleeve and stretched out her left hand, demonstrating the white scars covering the skin from her wrist and up to the elbow. It took her almost half a year to get used to the sight of a sophisticated runic pattern. Luckily, the markings did not look ugly - indeed, from a distance one could mistake her scars for a peculiar white-ink tattoo.

“Looks dope,” Cristian carefully held the girl’s wrist, urging her to turn the hand. “Did it hurt?”  
“Like hell!” Julia shuddered at the memory of the awful pain and the smell of burnt flesh filling her kitchen.

Something suddenly made her turn around, a sensation of creeps at the back of her neck which comes when someone is watching you intensely. Julia turned her head and with surprise she witnessed Loki, strangely gloomy and tense. As always, no one was bothered by the fact that there was a stranger leaning over the wall and watching the group of employees loafing around.

“Excuse me for a moment,” the girl stuck the phone into the back pocket of her pants and walked towards the Asgardian.

Without a word Loki turned on his heels and headed into the nearest conference room. Julia walked in after him, and the man slammed the door closed. A ripple went over the glass door - a sign of a spell preventing the others from hearing and noticing them.

“H-hi…” Julia stuttered, wondering how to behave around him now: whether he shall kiss her, whether she may kiss him, and what has caused such distress to the Asgardian.

Loki put an end to her doubts by pulling the girl closer. He hungrily pressed his mouth to hers, and Julia parted her lips under the pressure. Loki thrust his tongue inside her mouth, his kiss fast, aggressive and devouring. He pushed Julia towards a computer desk and sharply ripped the clasp of her pants. The Asgardian was breathing heavily and unevenly, his eyes sparkling as if he had a fever.

“Loki?” Julia placed her open palms against his chest, slightly pushing the man away. He growled and pressed his body into hers, fisting her hair and making the girl tilt her head back. “We’re in the office! Loki, what are you doing?!”

The Asgardian suddenly let her go. 

“This is exactly what I intended to ask you,” he grunted.

Julia took a deep breath and nervously smoothed out the blouse. She did not have a slightest idea what was going on. Loki seemed nervous and anguished, and extremely angry with her. 

“Why was he touching you?” He asked sharply.  
“What?!” Julia shook her head without understanding. “Who?”

She stared at Loki, recalling the events of the morning. Summer had always been a slow season. First they lazily dug through the emails, then Barbara proudly shared with the concerned audience the newest photos of her cat. Then they worked, and had lunch. Later they ate candy bars and had a long discussion over which ones taste better. Then Julia rolled up her sleeve, demonstrating the markings on her wrist...

“Are you angry because some guy touched my hand?” Julia cried out and laughed in disbelief. “Seriously?!”

Apparently, laughing was a mistake. The Asgardian narrowed his eyes to slits and suddenly caught her by the shoulder, his grip so strong it felt like the man’s fingers were digging straight into the bone. Julia winced in pain.

Without a word Loki opened a portal and stepped into it, pulling the girl after him. 

“Wait, where…?!” Julia jibbed, but her resistance was pointless, Loki did not even slow down. 

They left the office behind and emerged from the portal in the middle of her living room. The girl looked around with confusion.

“Why did you take me here?” She asked nervously. “I… I have to be in the office!”  
“Of course you do,” Loki drawled, folding the arms on his chest. 

Julia watched him with eyes wide open.

“Are you jealous of me?!” She whispered in disbelief.

Loki did not say a word, but just one look at him gave her a clear answer. His whole body was slightly trembling, like a spring wound too tightly. Julia took a deep breath.

“Listen, this is just… ridiculous! He has a wife and three daughters, for God’s sake!” The girl could not decide whether to laugh or cry or hit her head on the wall.  
“How would a spouse and children prevent him from fucking you?” The man spat out, pursing his lips.  
“Can you calm down for a moment and listen to me?” Julia whined. She was starting to panic. Her experience in dealing with jealous boyfriends was rather limited, and explaining herself to a superstrong alien with anger issues did not seem like an easy task. “No one was going to fuck me, why would you even think of it... He just wanted to take a good look at this!” Julia shook her left hand in the air, demonstrating the runic pattern of scars covering the skin.

Loki caught her wrist and stepped closer. The girl noticed his nostrils flare with anger and tried to writhe out of his grip. This was getting dangerous.

“Do you want me to tell you what he wanted to take a look at?” The man hissed mockingly. “Though I think you know for yourself.”  
“Now you are being disgusting,” Julia said firmly and sharply yanked her hand, desperate to free herself of the man’s grip. Loki huffed and unexpectedly let her go.  
“Am I?!” He laughed harshly. “Stop pretending to be an innocent child after you fucked me like a hungry whore, you shall not fool me.”  
“ _What?!_ ” Julia jerked, as if he had hit her. “Do you even hear yourself? First you make a scene for no reason, and now you call me a whore?! What the hell is wrong with you?”  
“Oh, nothing, I am just naming things for what they are.” Loki growled in response. “If you behave like a dirty wench, then what else shall I call you?”

Julia sucked in the air. She straightened her back and raised her chin, hoping that the outward display of confidence would help her overcome the nervous trembling.

“Keep your insults for the Asgardian chicks.” The girl spat out in a high shaky voice, hating him more than ever for the groundless accusations and sharp angry words. “I refuse to continue this conversation. If you have anything else to say, we will talk when you calm down and stop being a dick. Now, get out of my house! I have to get back to the office before I get fired.”

Loki shook his head.

“I don't think so.” Upon saying this, he took a step towards her, and Julia suddenly felt small and helpless.  
“I said, get the hell out!” She cried in panic and slammed her fists on his chest. 

The girl put all the force she had into the push, but Loki did not move an inch, and with terror she watched an unsettling predatory grin grow on his lips.

“Go away!” She yelled again, doing her best not to burst to tears.

Loki bent forward, and Julia whimpered quietly when he moved his face closer to hers.

“Or what?” The Asgardian breathed out before covering her lips with a kiss.

Julia tried to turn her head away, but Loki firmly caught her chin in his fingers. She gave a muffled yip and raised her hand, aiming the nails at his face, but the man caught both of her wrists with a quick move and forced Julia’s hands above her head, pinning the girl to the wall completely. In this position her breast was firmly pressed against his body, and Loki could feel the girl’s fast uneven breath and frantic heartbeat. He forced Julia’s lips to part, and his tongue darted into her mouth. The Asgardian was kissing her with fierce intensity, desperate to punish her with this kiss for the avalanche of feelings which almost swept him off his feet - the feelings he did not want, but could do nothing about it.

Loki hissed and pulled back from the girl when he felt sharp pain in his lower lip. He brushed his thumb over it and blinked with surprise at the sight of blood on his fingers. Julia sniffled and hid her face in the palms.

“Please don’t touch me!” She whispered, her whole body shaking. The girl hunched her shoulders, pressing herself into the wall and trying to move as far away from him as possible. “Please, don’t!”

Loki stared at her small shaking figure and felt the red mist of wrath fade. Instead of anger there came the guilt. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as he watched the girl slide down the wall and curl up on the floor. He suddenly did not know what to say in his defence, and it was a rare thing to happen.

And he left, because there was no other thing to do.

It took Julia some time to realize that Loki was gone. She wiped off the tears and took a deep breath to calm herself down. This was the worst and the most illogical quarrel they have had so far, and she saw little chances for their affair to live on after such a nasty browl. Probably it was for the best.

Julia washed her face, smoothed out the hair and checked the jar by the mirror in the hall for some change. She was in her house, her purse and ID badge left back at the office. Big girls don’t cry over rough break-ups when they have to get to work in the middle of the day and make it look like they had not left at all. Luckily, there was enough change for a bus.

\----------

Loki could hardly recall the time when he had felt so confused and lost. He was the King, not an ordinary Aesir man who could afford to be weak or lose his sanity over a woman. A _human_ woman, to make it worse. 

The Asgardian nurtured a faint hope that since the maid had lain with him, his unreasonably strong desire for her would fade, but he had never been more wrong. The Midgardian spent the rest of the day by his side, clad in a beautiful long gown he would have torn to pieces if only they had one single moment alone. Alas, the feasts had always been the time for parley and meetings, and his presence was required. The only thing Loki could do while conversing with the ambassadors was brush his fingers over Julia's thigh under the table, causing the girl to blush and grasp his hand in an unsuccessful attempt to make him stop. He considered fleeing from the celebration together with the maid, leaving a copy of himself to handle the guests, but in this case his mind would have been distracted, and for some reason Loki wished to keep his attention undivided when being with her. When darkness fell the Midgardian told him that she could not stay for another night because she had to be at her office the next day, and Loki almost asked her to change her mind. It took him much effort not to; instead he delivered the maid back to her dwelling in the most ceremonious manner and returned back to the palace.

He lasted out till next midday. It was hard to tell what he wanted to do when walking inside the maid’s office, but with certainty he wanted _her_.

When Loki arrived, he witnessed a group of Midgardians conducting like boorish children. Two maidens and a man sat on the desk by the open window, letting the warm wind ruffle their hair. They spoke loudly, they laughed, they pushed each other with their elbows and squinted in the sun. Loki did not understand a single word, but he was surprised by how relaxed his maid was around these two humans. She had never behaved around him like this, and the Asgardian felt a prick of disappointment he could not explain as he watched the girl. 

Then Julia rolled up the long sleeve of her blue shirt and revealed the words of his vow sealing their contract carved into her skin, and Loki saw her compeer hold the girl’s wrist and lean forward to study the pattern of scars. There was no sexual context in the man’s actions - Loki knew it, and yet he could not fight the strange feeling of vulnerability he experienced when he saw someone else's fingers pressed to the maid's skin, and the emptiness he felt when he saw her laugh carelessly around some humans and not him. As shameful as it was, arousal and rage clouded his mind so much that he would have taken the maid against her will, if it hadn't been for the sharp pain from her bite when he forced a kiss upon her.

The memory of his own actions made Loki shudder with self-disgust. Those who feared and mistrusted him because of his Jotunn heritage seemed to be right, and Loki was certain that the Midgardian would choose to steer clear of him from now on. It would be a reasonable decision and he expected nothing else but a look of distress and disrelish on the maid's face next time he walks into her dwelling, and he knew that he deserved it. If there had been a chance to avoid seeing her ever again, he would have paid the highest price for it. 

\---------

Julia delved into a carton box and pulled out a white mouse. The siren flapped its wings and shrieked, her eyes locked on the small rodent which kept trying to wriggle out of Julia’s grip. The girl opened the cage. The magical bird bared its teeth and impatiently jerked forward as soon as Julia held the mouse by the tail. The girl rested her gaze on the clock as she listened to the wet chewing sounds. It was Wednesday, the day of her compulsory meeting with Loki, and the clock hands were running unnaturally fast. 

The creature finished the third mouse and softly rammed Julia’s hand with its forehead, demanding to be petted. The girl brushed her fingers over the bird’s feathers and sighed. A siren is beautiful, but it needs blood to sing. Loki is insanely attractive, but he is an alien with a tendency to violence and a proven criminal record. Julia was not a small child, and she had to be ready to bear the consequences of her own actions. Did she expect Loki to turn into a sweet fluffy kitten since they have slept together? _No, definitely not._ Did she care to find out what the Asgardian couples do after they have sex? _No. _Maybe they are supposed to get married. Maybe the unlucky gal gets locked up in a tower for the rest of her days. It was possible, since their society seemed quite patriarchal. Julia tried not to panic at the idea and braced herself. Even if there was an explanation for Loki's behavior, there surely was no justification, and she would not let him lock her in a tower against her will.__

The girl finished up a bucket of de-stressing vanilla ice cream at seven sharp, nurturing a faint hope that Loki would not show up. At quarter past seven there was a short knock on the front door which she chose to ignore. Exactly two minutes later the knock repeated - the Asgardian did not acknowledge doorbells. Instead of opening the door Julia sat on the couch Indian style and opened a book. She just did not feel like letting him in.

When the girl raised her head from the book she saw him on her terrace. The Asgardian stood right in front of the balcony door, but he did not try to knock anymore. They both knew that he could open the door with magic at any moment, and they both knew that he would not do it. Julia snarled at him and in a theatrical manner lifted the book to cover her face.

Unfortunately, with the corner of her eye she could still see the tall silhouette behind the glass. She would have closed the thick blue curtains if she could, but one was missing since Loki had borrowed it to transform into a new tunic. The girl slammed the book closed and wondered, if fleeing upstairs would make her look miserable.

Loki hid his hands in the pockets and locked his eyes on the clock above Julia’s head. He knew what was about to happen. The clock hand moved to seven thirty - the agreed time of their meetings, and both cringed in pain. Julia bit her lip, trying not to cry as she felt a hundred hot needles pierce her skin. The spirit of fire watching over their deal was not happy with the two of them violating the provisions of the contract.

Julia gave up after ten minutes. With a scowl she got up and marched towards the door leading to the terrace. The girl sharply pushed it, hoping to hit Loki, but he stood far enough. The burning pain receded at once when the door was opened, and both Julia and Loki breathed out with relief.

“I don't want to see you today and something tells me that this feeling could be mutual.” The girl said firmly. “Now, if you do not have any objections, I suggest we call it a night.”

For a moment Loki looked like he was about to agree, but then he shook his head.

“No.”  
“No?!” Julia glanced at him with disbelief. "Why?"  
“Because I want to have a conversation with you. About what... what has happened.” He responded with a stubborn frown.

Julia hesitated for a moment and then nodded, alert and strained. She stepped back, making some space for Loki who gave her time to move away before walking inside. He stopped right there, by the open glass door, keeping the distance between them as big as possible, and remained silent. Julia growled impatiently, losing her temper.

“Fine, I shall start.” She spat out. “You behaved like a fucked up and crazy bastard. I understand that you got jealous, though there was completely no reason for this, but what you did was a complete overkill! I don’t know how things are done in Asgard, and I am deeply sorry for all your girls if such behaviour is considered normal, but like hell I will let you treat me like this!”

In any other situation she would think twice before yelling or cursing at him, but this time it seemed appropriate. Loki seemed to agree with her assessment, because he did not object a single time.

“I apologise for my words, and for my actions as well.” He replied, persistently avoiding to look her in the eyes. 

_That was new._

“You guessed right the reason for my behaviour,” He spoke slowly and carefully, as if he was searching for the right words. “I was jealous of you, and I know that my suspicions were ill-grounded. I got... carried away.”  
“Yes, it happens to you quite often.” Julia interrupted him angrily.  
“I deeply regret my behaviour. I only hope that I haven't scared you too much.” He went on. Loki finally looked straight at her, and Julia saw the dark green of his eyes filled with anxiety and self-disgust. “I understand that you see me as a repulsive brute, but there is no need for you to fear when I am around, I shall never try to force myself upon you again. I want you to know that if you choose to end the contract binding us, I shall not seek revenge on you or your kin.”

Loki nervously clenched his hands together - stiff and tense, his back straight. For the first time since Julia had gotten to know him the Asgardian seemed to be sincerely regretting his actions. It felt surreal - seeing Loki filled with shame and remorse. The man shortly bowed to her and turned around, heading back towards the terrace door. He moved very slowly, trying not to scare her with a sharp gesture, and Julia considered her options. A safe and reasonable one was to let him leave, because if he left - she knew it - they both would spend the remaining five months of their contract pretending that nothing had ever happened between them, or even better - they would never see each other again. It was up to her to decide. And Julia suddenly realized that she did not want it to end this way. What she wanted was unreasonable, unwise and extremely dangerous - but if she didn’t give it a try, she would regret it deeply for the rest of her days.

“Hold on for a second.”

_Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant._

Loki sharply turned to her with a strange grimace on his face - a mixture of distress and faint hope. He almost took a step forward, but remembered to remain in place and awkwardly smoothed the long coat, watching the girl with wary eyes.

“You don't have to go away.” Julia said uneasily. She felt just as confused as him. “You did behave like an abusive pig, and you scared the hell out of me, and I am not fine with what has happened, but I accept the apology. There is no need for overly dramatic gestures. A simple promise to be good from now on will be enough.”

Loki stared at her with disbelief. Julia bravely stepped a little closer to him and looked up - the Asgardian was biting his lip, as if he was about to ask her something. He finally took a deep breath.

“You have seen how dangerous I truly am. Aren’t you scared of me?”

“Are you kidding me? I am terrified!” Julia laughed nervously and hugged herself. “But not of you, I am scared of… _this_.”  
“This?”  
“This relationship.” She explained uneasily, nervously twisting her fingers. “I mean, it wasn't easy between us from the very beginning, but now things are going to get five times more difficult, since we have… since we are...” 

Loki cocked a brow.

“Romantically involved?” He purred, watching Julia’s cheeks go red.  
“Yes.” She tried to ignore his intense gaze. “I know that it will be difficult, I understand that there are some cultural differences we will come across, and there is this awful temper of yours, but I want this anyway. I want _you_. Just don't call me a whore ever again and try not to overreact over normal stuff.”

Loki nodded slowly with a serious expression, but the corners of his mouth slightly twitched upwards.

“If any man ever touches you again, I shall tear both his hands off.” He said firmly. “Do not doubt my words.”

Julia sighed and rubbed her face. She has just made the least reasonable decision in her whole life, but it felt right.

“At least make it look like an accident.”

Loki closed his eyes and sucked in the air. When he looked at Julia again, there was that golden reflex in the dark green which usually indicated some mischief to come. He bit his lip, and then suddenly picked the girl up bridal style and headed towards the staircase leading upstairs.

“It is bedtime, sweet bird,” Loki sang out, pushing the bedroom door open with his elbow. Julia laughed and traced her lips down his neck, sucking in the skin and leaving red marks. Loki lowered her on the floor, and the girl grabbed his collar to draw him closer. This time she was the one to eagerly press her lips to his. Julia gently cupped the man's face with her palm, brushing her thumb along his jawline as their tongues tangled together, playful one moment and desperate the next. They were hastily tearing off each other's clothing, breaking the kiss only to catch a short breath.

They slowed down when both were stripped down to their undergarments. The kisses became less hurried, but not at all less passionate. Loki unfastened the clasp of the girl’s bra and stroked the sensitive skin of her breasts with light circular movements, feeling the nipples harden under his fingers. Julia arched her back in response to his caresses and brushed her palms down the man's shoulders and chest. His muscles tightened under her touch and when the girl’s hands slid down to his thighs, Loki rocked his hips forward, pressing his erection against her body. Julia gasped at the sensation and pulled the loose breeches off his hips. She gently squeezed the man’s cock and began to move her hand along his length from the base to the tip, speeding up with every stroke. Loki moaned and closed his eyes, pulling the girl into a tight embrace. He pressed his lips to her temple, and Julia felt the grip of his fingers in her hair tighten.

With a low growl the Asgardian stepped forward, and Julia was trapped between his body and the bed. Loki lightly pushed the girl down on the mattress and crawled on top of her, placing fast hungry kisses over her face, neck and breast. His hands urged her legs to part, and Loki rubbed his fingers against Julia’s crotch. The girl was so aroused that he could feel her heat and wetness through the dark crimson lace of the underwear. The man’s touch sent a heatwave through Julia’s body, and she whined, digging her heels into the mattress and beggingly arching her back. 

“Loki!” She groaned in a low, guttural voice, bucking her thighs up to increase the pressure of his thumb against her clit.

Her short-spoken request was clear enough. The Asgardian sharply ripped the tiny piece of clothing off the girl and sank into her with one forceful move, and in an instant he saw a wave of blush color her cheeks and collarbones as he reached her most sensitive spot. Julia writhed under him, moaning louder with his every thrust, and wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling Loki down for a kiss. He lowered himself upon her, pressing his torso to the girl’s soft breast, and covered her mouth with his. Julia’s tongue brushed teasingly against his lips, and Loki began to lose himself with her. He increased the tempo, and very soon the girl whimpered, reaching her climax.

“You are mine!” Loki growled against Julia’s neck, feeling her muscles clench tightly around his manhood. He sank his fingers into her hair, forcing the girl’s head up, so that her eyes would meet his. “Say it!”

Julia gasped and dug her nails into the man's back. Loki was hammering into her with fast thrusts, so deep that it was almost painful, but at the same time extremely pleasurable, and she had not yet recovered from the first orgasm when the second wave of pleasure swept over her.

“I am yours!” She breathed out, panting in the orgasmic bliss and feeling the pulsation of Loki’s manhood as he emptied himself into her.

\----------

It was very late when they walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Julia yawned and lazily hit the button of the electric kettle. 

“Earl Grey or English Breakfast?” She turned to the man. Loki smirked at her, squinting in the bright yellow light of the ceiling lamp.  
“It is almost midnight, sweet bird,” he chuckled, and Julia obediently reached for the brisk red box with English Breakfast.

Probably, the exhaustion had caused the girl to forget all the caution, but there was no usual tension in her gestures. The maid slowly moved around the kitchen, and walking past him, she would intentionally touch his shoulder, or brush her hand over his, and Loki would intentionally remain in the middle of the passage to let her do it over and over again. 

Losing his sanity had never felt better.


	23. The New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I told you that big things are coming ;) please enjoy the new chapter and forgive me for the wait!

“The High Treasurer of Asgard is gone.” 

Julia raised her brows.

“Gone? You mean, dead? I… I am very sorry for your loss…” She moved aside to let Loki pass.  
“No, by gone I mean gone. He vanished, disappeared, he is nowhere to be found. Six days ago the man left to his private chamber for the night, and he was gone in the morning. His servants have no idea where he could be, and the Treasurer had no wife nor mistress who could shed the light on his disappearance.” The Asgardian elaborated and casually stepped to a side, trapping Julia between his body and the wardrobe. He caught her lips in a slow deep kiss, placing his hands on Julia's waist. The girl moaned and slightly trembled in his embrace, and with a smug grin Loki pulled back, sealing the greeting with a short smooch on the tip of her nose. “No need to be sorry, I have never been fond of the man. It seems that you have missed me, sweet bird.”

Julia bit her lip, following Loki into the living room and feeling the butterflies in her stomach slowly calm down. He was right, she did miss him, the reaction of her body gave it away at once.

“You were here two days ago,” she huffed, and a smile grew on the girl's lips as she approached the man and placed her palms on his chest. Julia tilted her head to a side, glancing at Loki from under the eyelashes, and lowered her voice to a purr. “There are no monsters to hunt, I do not have any pending tasks which would require your assistance or insight, and I just cannot think of a good reason for you to be here... It seems that you have missed me as well.”

Loki smirked and caught her wrist, pulling the girl on his lap as he lowered himself on the couch. 

“What if I hadn't been home?” Julia seated herself comfortably on top of the man and ran her fingers through his long raven hair. “Not that you are unwelcome…”  
“Good to hear,” Loki rumbled and closed his eyes, slightly leaning into her touch. He did not kiss Julia anymore, just wrapped his arms around her body and pulled the girl closer, pressing her firmly to his chest. The way Loki cradled her in his arms was incredibly humanly and soothing. There was no sexual undertone in his embrace, just the craving for contact and serenity he clearly lacked, and Julia gently pressed her lips to his neck, slowly brushing her fingers through his hair.  
“What are you planning to do about the missing Treasurer?” The girl whispered against his neck. “I mean, if the Polish Minister of Finance had gone missing, it would have been a huge mess.”  
“It is a mess,” Loki agreed. “Fortunately, he had skillful associates who will make sure the Treasury operates properly until he returns, and my men will do their best to find him fast. What dreads me are gossips and rumors. My position is not as stable as I would wish, and some members of the Council watching over my rule might think of me as guilty.”  
“Can't Heimdall see him?”

She felt Loki tense up and shake his head. It was not good.

“You can go and take care of this, if you have to.” The girl suggested. “I think that if we discuss this in advance and agree to cancel our Wednesday meetings, the contract won't punish us. There is actually nothing for you to do here: there are no more creatures on the loose, and the crime rate has fallen since last month…”  
“I fail to see how being in the palace right now shall help me find the missing man of state faster,” Loki huffed and slightly tightened his embrace, obviously dissatisfied with her proposition to leave. “The investigation of his disappearance is ongoing. And as for the beasts, you might have noticed that they come in waves, together with the magic which keeps flooding your Realm. The closer to the day of the Convergence, the stronger the creatures. I can feel something big coming, so do not be mislead by the serenity. It is a calm before the storm.”

The girl nodded and closed her eyes, savouring the moment of peace. To be frank, she had nothing against more of Loki’s unexpected visits if they would be like this one. She felt safe in his arms; she could barely move, but little did it matter. Julia almost fell asleep, lulled by the quiet murmur of the TV, when she noticed the Asgardian tense up. The girl sat straight, startled by the change in his posture.

“Loki?”  
“Sh-h.” He silenced her, carefully listening to the BBC news report.

Julia wriggled out of Loki's grip and reached for the remote control on the cushions by their side to increase the volume.

“...The village of Pine Springs, located in the central part of North Carolina. The tragic and bizarre disappearance of the whole settlement along with three hundred and fifty two inhabitants had been reported to the police station in the nearest town of Carthage exactly four hours ago by a group of college students heading North on a road trip. According to the statement, the young men were startled by the fact that the road suddenly ended, “as if a piece had been cut out of it”, and there was an empty field in place of the settlement, not a single building left. The police inquiry confirmed the report. Currently the matter had been handed over to the Homeland Security for further investigation. No official statement had been released yet. For the time of the investigation a part of Murdocksville Road has been closed…”

“And here comes the storm,” Loki breathed out hoarsely.

Julia stared blankly at the TV screen. She recalled Loki’s hateful prediction of inevitable failure he had spoken on the first day they met, and felt her hands shake. It was a storm, indeed. A disappearing village can not be compared to a leprechaun playing tricks on people or a troll devouring lonely tourists. What they were facing now was three hundred people who had gone missing overnight, families and friends from all over the U.S.A. losing their minds, and the police without a single idea what had happened.

The girl sharply turned to Loki.

“Tomorrow we must go and see what we can do.” She stuttered, nervously twisting her fingers, and clumsily got up from his lap. “I need to call my manager now and request a leave of absence... I will try to collect all available information about the accident till morning.”

Loki got up.

“I fear that this one might take us some time to solve, so there are things I need to take care of before we go to the disappearing village. I will return as soon as I can, and you would better get some sleep instead of staying up the whole night.”

Julia nodded quickly, clenching her hands together. Loki studied her and rolled his eyes.

“You shall not listen to me, as always,” he said grumpily and turned to the door. “I’ll be back early in the morning.”

\----------

Julia had everything ready by 5 A.M.: an email to her manager with an apology for the short notice, a big bowl of canned cat food for the siren, and a backpack. With shaky hands she poured herself one more cup of coffee and tried not to blink in order to stay awake. Eventually she failed, because a soft squeeze on her shoulder woke the girl up. Loki stood by her side with the printouts she had prepared, studying the photos and maps of the missing settlement. 

“Finally you're back!” Julia cried out and rubbed her neck, trying to relax the stiff muscles aching after sleeping by the kitchen table. She pulled her backpack closer and got up. “I am ready to go. The place of accident is already secured by a military cordon, so we'd better land on the inside, somewhere close to the centre of the village.”  
“There might be a problem with that,” Loki replied. “I cannot take us to a place which is not there anymore. We must travel to the town closest to the missing settlement.”  
“This is ineffective!” Julia pursed her lips with annoyance. “The closest one is about fifty kilometers away… Fine, there must be a car rental. If I don't fall on my face I will drive us to the place, and then you will do some magic and sneak us in.”  
“I can drive now as well,” Loki reminded her with a smirk. “In case you do fall on your face.”

When Julia stepped out of a portal, she got an impression that she had gone blind, so thick was the darkness surrounding them. The time difference must have slipped out of her mind due to the haste and stress. It was almost midnight in North Carolina. 

They made it out of the thick bushes and trudged through the dark park, following the lights of street lamps at a distance.

“No fucking way!” Julia groaned, angrily pushing away leafy branches as she marched forward. “How could I forget about time zones?!”  
“You are tired,” Loki reminded her calmly, wading through the thicket by her side. “You will think better after you rest.”  
“Rest?! Are you serious?!” Julia squeaked nervously and laughed out loud, breaking the quiet of the night. “No rest. The car rental is closed but we can take a taxi.”  
“No.” Loki turned back and held a bushy branch to let her pass. Julia huffed.  
“Well, _yes_ , because we cannot waste time. We are going there right now.” She stepped out on the asphalt road and delved into the pocket for a cell phone.  
“No, we are not,” Loki repeated with slight irritation. “It is unwise.”  
“It is not unwise, because three hundred people had gone missing! It is fucked up and urgent!” The girl cried out. “Their families must be freaking out, and no one knows what to do. You have seen the news, and you think I will go to sleep?! The faster we figure out what happened, the better.”  
“To figure anything out you must think properly,” Loki said firmly. Julia opened her mouth to speak, but the austere look on his face made her change her mind. “Enough of this rush. I see that you can barely stand straight, and I must confess that the several previous days have been challenging for me as well. We both need to sleep till morning. Besides, the night is so dark that we shall see nothing even with the help of magical fires.”

Julia glared at him fiercely for a short moment, but then nodded with a long face.

“Fine…” She mumbled and rubbed her eyes. The effect of coffee must have worn off, because suddenly the girl felt like she would lay down to sleep in the middle of the road, if Loki had let her. “You are right.”  
“I know,” Loki sneered and pulled the girl towards a low building with a big red motel sign. 

Julia flopped down into an armchair in a small lobby and watched Loki’s back as he approached the empty counter and shortly hit the reception bell. She absently noticed that he ordered two separate rooms for them instead of one, then the girl slowly dragged herself up the stairs, and protested weakly when Loki dug into her own private backpack in the most rude and insolent manner.

“Come on! Are you my mother now?!” Julia cried out when he took out the laptop.  
“That would make me a very perverted one. ” Loki laughed shortly and stretched out an open hand. Julia sighed, but after a moment of hesitation handed over her phone. “That's a good girl.”

He unlocked the door of her room. Julia rubbed her eyes with a weak smile. 

“Loki?” She turned to face the Asgardian. “Thank you.”  
“For what?” He huffed in an offhand manner and lightly pushed the girl inside, but the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. “You are completely useless to me when you are like this, that is all. Now, sleep.”

That was more or less the response she expected from him. Julia nodded, feeling her smile grow so wide that her cheeks started to hurt. She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, and woke up to a short knock on the door and bright sunlight.

“You look rested,” Loki studied her face and moved into the room with a satisfied nod.  
“You don't,” Julia replied, making notice of dark shadows under his eyes.  
“Do not forget that I am much more resistant to weariness that your weak race.” He drawled with a complacent smile and placed the laptop he had borrowed the night before on the bed. “Besides, by the ill will of fate I am bound to an overly responsible maid who would always nag me about being unprepared. Now you have no ground to torment me, I am familiar with every single detail of the accident.”

The Asgardian straddled a chair in the middle of the room, resting his arms on the seat back. He waited for the girl to finish her morning routine, and Julia threatened to throw him out only once when he attempted to join her for a shower. The girl had to use all her persuasion skills to resolve the conflict of interests in a peaceful manner, giving the Asgardian a solemn promise to make it up for him later when they shall not be in a hurry.

They had a quick breakfast in a canteen across the road and headed to the only car rental in Carthage located at the outskirts of town. Loki strode along the lines of cars, studying the vehicles with interest: both new and old, classy and damaged. The girl got rid of the overly helpful manager and jogged along the row of pick-ups, towards the tall figure of the Asgardian at the end of the alley.

“Did you find anything you like?” She puffed, approaching the man. Loki shrugged and pointed at the sleek black car by his side.

Julia looked at his vehicle of choice and laughed out loud, making the Asgardian frown in confusion. She was about to believe in fate.

“We must take this one no matter the cost.” She declared decisively.  
“Why?”  
“ _Why?!_ ” The girl gulped for air at a sight of such ignorance. “Because it is an old black Chevrolet Impala, year 1967. Winchester brothers? _Supernatural?_ You… you don't get it, do you?”

Loki rolled his eyes and leaned over the bonnet of a rusty damaged pick-up. 

“Did I once again miss a cultural reference for one of your pathetic Midgardian realities?”

Julia glared at him and pursed her lips.

“Yes, and I cannot tolerate such shameful ignorance. Get ready for a movie night.” She replied firmly. “If you are lucky I might have the full first season on my laptop.”

The formalities were over with soon. A small dose of magic helped to speed up the process of checking Julia’s foreign driving license and got them a significant discount. The car was in perfect state. With awe Julia turned on the ignition and listened to the low steady rumble of the engine. They drove out of the town and hit a highway, heading south. 

The road ran forward between picturesque meadows, then it dove under the tall pines. The trip towards the missing village took them about an hour. Julia parked at the wayside when she saw a short line of cars and an army van blocking the road at a distance. They must have approached the cordon organized by the Homeland Security.

“Let us take a walk,” Loki suggested and pushed the door open.

They went off the road and sneaked unnoticed near the armed soldiers guarding the perimeter. God knows what the U.S. Government suspected: a dangerous radiation emission, a leak of poisonous gas, or a terrorist attack, but Julia praised their fast reaction to an unfamiliar threat. The temporary base with rows of bigger and smaller tents and military equipment was located outside the cordon, at a spacious opening between the trees. Julia kept glancing over the shoulder as she followed Loki deeper into the restricted area, but the magic spell protected them well from the eyes of the soldiers. 

In about two minutes of fast march they reached the place of accident. The line of trees surrounding the valley was so even that it looked artificial. The meadow in front of Julia and Loki was flat as a plate, vast and picturesque. As they roamed through knee-tall grass, Julia started to doubt if there had ever been a village at all, so untouched the nature looked. The girl checked the location a thousand times - it was the place. 

“I feel the magic here.” Loki announced, turning around and attentively listening to the lisp of the wind in the grass.

They stood in the middle of nowhere. Only three days ago there had been a supermarket with a parking, neat houses with roofs covered in tile, a school and small cafés. Right now there was a grove in place where the school was supposed to be, and a creek in place of a parking lot. Even the asphalt road was gone, as if someone had decided to wipe out every memory of the human presence.

“And?”  
“And that's it,” he snapped with slight irritation. “I feel it but I am unable to locate the source. It is both everywhere around us and nowhere in particular."  
“Wait, what?” Julia asked helplessly. “I am sorry, I'm not following.”

Loki sighed and sat down on the ground. The cool breeze rippled a sea of juicy green grass around him.

“Imagine…” He bit his lip, thinking of the right way to explain. “How do you know that you are approaching a waterfall?”  
“The sound of water becomes louder?” Julia shrugged.  
“Exactly. Think of the magic as a strong water torrent. I walk closer to the waterfall, but there is none. There is the rumble and there are splashes, but there is no cliff and no falling water. This is exactly the same. We are in the very centre of the missing village, and the concentration of magic is so high that even you can probably feel it. The source of it must be here - it _is_ here, but I cannot see it.”

Julia squinted in the sun and sat down Indian style by Loki’s side.

“We are in North Carolina.” She mused. “There is a creepy legend - a pretty well-known one, actually. It tells about a settlement which disappeared overnight.”*  
“When did it happen?” Loki gave the girl an attentive look.  
“A long time ago, I'm afraid. In the sixteenth century a British colony was founded on Roanoke Island - it is at the coast, far away from here. The settlers lived there for about two years, but when the ships from Britain arrived to check on them after some time, there was not a single person to be found, more than a hundred men and women gone.”  
“Does anyone know what happened to them?”  
“That’s the point, there is no explanation till present day, only theories,” Julia replied. “The wildest ones fit our situation well: some people believe that the settlement got sucked into a crack in our reality and ended up in another dimension, I even heard an explanation that the colonists ended up in Purgatory for being protestants. But honestly, such theories lack a healthy dose of scepticism. Most probably there is no big mystery here, and the settlers were killed during a big military conflict between the Indian tribes in this region.”

\----------

On the way back Loki suddenly disappeared. They did not talk much, both submerged in thoughts, and when Julia glanced over her shoulder she suddenly did not see her partner. The girl waited for him, she even considered turning back, but remembered that without Loki’s spell the officers would see her. She did not risk to call for him, so the only thing left was to head towards the car and wait there, hoping that nothing bad had happened.

When Julia saw the car behind the trees, the Asgardian was already there, waiting for her with a triumphant smile. The girl headed towards him with an intention to scold the man for leaving her alone, but then she noticed a thick pile of discreet black folders on the bonnet by Loki's side. It seemed that Homeland Security would be missing some reports related to the accident, Julia only hoped that they kept digital copies of the valuable data.

They had dinner in the same canteen close to the motel, and studied the papers after the meal was over. Alas, the stolen reports did not contain any valuable information. There was a strong anomaly of the magnetic field, but no sign of soil or air poisoning in the area. The latest satellite pictures of the location showed no evidence of any supernatural events, or explosions which could wipe the whole village from existence. It turned out that the Homeland Security knew just as much as they did. 

The whole venture was starting to feel like a failure. The top-secret documents Loki had borrowed from the military base gave them nothing, her theory about the connection of the accident with the legend about Roanoke colony seemed stupid and ill-grounded, and the strong magical anomaly was impossible to explain. Julia had no leads, and neither did the Asgardian. Three hundred people had vanished into thin air and there was nothing she could do.

Back in the motel Julia almost burst to tears with the awful feeling of helplessness. She was exhausted and craved a shower more than anything. The girl threw her clothing on the bathroom floor and rubbed her temples, hoping for the headache to recede. 

The door of her room unexpectedly slammed open, and Julia yelped in shock. She hastily wrapped a towel around her body, wondering if the Homeland Security officers could have followed them to the hotel despite Loki’s magical veil, and if they shall shoot her on sight for stealing the top-secret reports. The sound of quiet steps on the carpet made her heart miss a beat, but then she caught a glimpse of dark green behind a half-open door, and Loki peeked inside the bathroom.

“There you are,” he drawled, and a predatory smirk lifted his lips when he noticed a pile of her clothes on the floor.  
“You scared the hell out of me! What are you doing in my room?” Julia snapped, relieved and irky at the same time. The Asgardian gave her a surprised look.  
“You promised me a shower.” He reminded the girl and unfastened the belt of his pants with a broad grin. “I am just making sure you keep your word.”

Julia was honestly not in the mood for a shower with a friend, but Loki seemed determined to keep her company. She sighed and stripped off the towel. The girl stepped into the shower cabin and turned the water on, adjusting the temperature. She closed her eyes, registering a quiet click of the closing glass door when Loki joined her.

“The water is too hot,” the Asgardian protested and reached for a bottle of shower gel.  
“Do you add ice cubes to your bath?” Julia giggled in response. The water was not warm enough to her taste, but the key to compromise is for both parties to be left equally dissatisfied.

She shivered when Loki’s cool fingers stroked her skin. He spread the gel over her shoulders and then moved his palms up the girl's neck. 

“Stop brooding,” Loki purred against her ear and gently bit the girl's earlobe. “You will find the solution sooner or later.”  
“What if I don’t?” Julia asked blankly.  
“Then there is no sense in tormenting yourself.”

However egoistic and cynical such approach was, Julia had to admit that the Asgardian had a point. The massage was pleasant and distracted her well from the troubles, and under gentle pressure of the man's fingers the girl felt her stiff muscles relax. Loki stepped closer and pressed his body to Julia's from behind, placing a series of kisses on her neck. His palms covered the girl’s breasts and tugged on the hardened nipples, then slid down Julia's stomach, brushing off water drops. The girl arched her back, rubbing her rear against Loki's erection and forcing a low growl out of him.

One of his hands remained wrapped around her waist, while the other eased between Julia’s thighs. She sucked in a loud breath. The girl was so aroused already that even a light brush of his fingers against her clit was enough to make her knees shake. Loki slid his fingers lower, moving them along the wet folds of her sex in a teasing delicate manner. Under the pressure of his torso upon her back the girl slightly bent forward and spread her legs wider for a more stable position.

“You are so ready for me,” Loki's voice was hoarse and low. Julia felt his fingers slip inside her and whined when the man started to move his digits. “You are dripping wet.”

She was so moist that he could hear it every time his fingers dipped into the girl’s opening - a wet, intoxicating sound of a woman’s desire. The girl’s body pressed to his was slightly trembling, and if he hadn’t been holding her, she would probably collapse on the floor. Julia tilted her head to a side, panting heavily, and Loki saw her eyes dark and blurred with pleasure. The man playfully bit her shoulder and pulled his fingers out of the girl, craving nothing else but to fill her sex with his manhood instead. Julia’s sudden attempt to wriggle out of his embrace came as a surprise, but he obediently let her go.

“You wanted to take a shower, remember?” The girl breathed out with a laugh and held on to the wall to stand straight. 

Loki eyed her with amusement and nodded. He watched Julia squeeze out some shampoo on her palm and turn to him with a bossy look on her face.

“Now,” she spoke musingly, studying his tall figure towering over her. “We might have a problem here.”

The Asgardian laughed and gripped her waist, easily lifting the girl in the air. Julia squealed in surprise when her back was pressed to the wet tiles covering the wall, and clenched to Loki's shoulders. The man cupped her thighs, urging the girl to spread her legs, and she wrapped them around his waist. Loki sneered and lightly rocked his hips forward, and Julia gasped when she felt the head of his cock pressed to her opening, pulsating and hot. The Asgardian brought his face closer to hers and slowly lowered the girl on his shaft, looking her in the eyes. Julia gave a choked whimper when she felt his full length inside her.

“Now you are high enough,” Loki breathed out. He cradled her back with one hand and stepped away from the wall. “Don't be afraid, I won't let you go.”

Julia smiled and cautiously slid her palms up his neck, combing her fingers through his hair and massaging the scalp. Loki started to move at a slow pace, keeping his movements short and controlled, aware that the position allowed him for the deepest contact. He locked his eyes on Julia's face, carefully watching the girl for any signs of discomfort, but there were none. Julia closed her eyes and whimpered softly against his lips, tightening the clutch of her fingers in his hair, and Loki increased the speed. He firmly gripped her thighs, energetically pumping the girl up and down. The white tile on the bathroom walls reflected every ragged breath they drew, every splash of water, every moan and wet slap of his skin against hers, enhancing and fusing all sounds into an effervescent erotic melody.

“You are distracting me,” Julia moaned, brushing the foam away from Loki’s forehead.  
“From a shower?” Loki drawled teasingly and eased one palm between their bodies and down her stomach. “You do not look like you want me to stop.”

Loki pressed his thumb to the girl’s clit, and she writhed and gasped in response as he started to stroke her with light circular movements. His finger was moving fast one moment and slow the other, and this stimulation was the most that Julia could take. The Asgardian had complete control over her, but it did not make her feel vulnerable: on the contrary, Julia _wanted_ him to be in control. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the avalanche of sensations. Julia arched her back and trembled as waves of heat swept through her core; she cried, begging Loki to stop, or maybe not to, or both at the same time. The man growled and sealed her mouth with a kiss as he continued to move, working towards his own orgasm. Julia moaned into his lips, overwhelmed with pleasure. The climax was so intense that she felt completely drained. The girl wrapped her hands around Loki's neck and rested her head on his shoulder, exhausted and semi-conscious. 

Julia completely missed the moment when Loki had ceased to move; probably she had blacked out because her eyelids felt strangely heavy and her whole body light as a feather. Loki carefully walked out of the bathroom and towards the bed, firmly pressing the girl to his chest and stroking her damp hair. He lowered her on the mattress, and Julia tried to focus her eyes on the man. She smiled weakly at him and curled up under the blanket, watching Loki walk back into the bathroom to rinse off the shampoo foam.

It took Julia some time to gather enough strength to sit up. The girl greeted Loki with a satisfied lazy smile when he emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

“How fragile your race must be, if you cannot even walk out of a shower on your own?” He smirked, watching the girl's slow uncertain movements as she brushed her hair. Julia giggled.  
“I can't even imagine what I would have done without you,” the girl stretched her back and blushed slightly when she noticed the look of awe on the man’s face as he shamelessly gawked at her naked body. She tapped the mattress by her side, urging Loki to join her. “Come here, it is time to fight ignorance.”

Loki sat down and with interest studied a big orange package of peanut butter cups, while Julia searched through the files on her laptop.

“Why would you buy sweets if you do not like them?” The man asked.  
“Because you do,” Julia winked at the Asgardian and placed the laptop on the nightstand. “Enjoy the show.”

Loki nodded and locked his eyes on the dark screen with the opening credits. From the look on his face it was hard to tell whether he approved of Julia's initiative, but at least he did not protest openly. Somewhere in the middle of the first episode the Asgardian reached for a rustling bag of sweets. Julia sat by his side, contemplating the man's sharp profile and trying to define their relationship. Taking into consideration Loki's overall negative attitude towards the human race, she did not cherish illusions regarding the nature of their affair, considering it a mere desire of flesh from his side - and she could live with it, because the sex was incredible. However, it seemed that she had been wrong. Within the last several days since Loki's jealous outbreak Julia came to realize that he _cared_. The Asgardian made her rest, he tried to distract her from the thoughts of the missing people, her distress did not leave him indifferent. He was patient with her when she behaved like a nuisance, and even though sarcastic and acrid remarks followed his every action, they could not conceal his intentions. This realisation filled Julia with glee, the feeling unexpectedly strong and bubbling in her veins like champagne.

Soon the pilot episode was over. 

“What do you think?” Julia asked curiously. The man’s expression was detached and concerned, and she could not guess if he had found the adventures of Winchester brothers appealing. Loki looked away from the screen and blinked.  
“Another,” he ordered shortly and wrapped his hand around Julia's shoulders.

\----------

Julia sat up on the bed, noticing an empty bag of Reese's cups in the trash can and the open laptop in place where she had left it. Loki must have taken the notion of movie night literally, because the battery was completely drained. The girl herself fell asleep after the fifth episode.

The door of her room slammed open in the same way as the night before, but this time there must have been a good reason for Loki to let himself in without permission. The Asgardian paced the room with an agitated glimmer in his eyes.

“Take me back there.” He commanded. “Fast.”

Julia clumsily got out of the bed.

“Why? What happened?” She watched him with concern as Loki ruffled her notes. He grabbed a printout with a satellite map image and hid it in the pocket.  
“I have a theory.”

When they drove to the place of the missing village, Loki rushed through the woods so fast that Julia had to jog in order to keep up with his pace. He was heading straight towards the centre of the magical valley.

Julia watched Loki as he paced the meadow, consulting with the map every now and then. If at first he looked like he was about to solve the riddle, soon a gloomy frown crossed his face. Whatever groundbreaking idea had come upon the Asgardian, apparently it did not work out.

Loki sulked all the way back. Julia wisely chose to restrain from questions for the time being. They failed, and it was time to return home and get used to the feeling of defeat. With Loki’s help Julia could trick the HR department into giving her a month-long paid vacation, but the Asgardian still had a kingdom to run.

The next several days passed in a glimpse. Every now and then Julia checked the news hoping that by miracle the missing settlement would appear in its place and everything would be back to normal, but apparently she had exceeded her limit of marvels. Or so she thought.

When Julia got home the other night Loki was waiting for her by the front door, perched on the railing of the porch. He graciously jumped down as the girl came closer.

“What have you been up to?” Julia asked and delved into the bag for the keys. The Asgardian shrugged.  
“Not much...” He replied offhand. “The diplomatic mission from Svartalfheim had departed at dawn and no blood had been shed, which is a big success. I have appointed a new Treasurer while my men search for his predecessor… and I found your village.”

Julia almost let go of the keys. She looked at the Asgardian in disbelief.

“Really?! You did?” She squeaked. The man nodded lazily, contemplating the surprised girl. A smug grin grew on his lips as Julia's jaw dropped - this was clearly the reaction he expected of her. “Oh my God, you are amazing! I… I just can't believe it!”  
“You cannot believe that I am amazing?” Loki asked innocently and bit his lip. Julia laughed.  
“All right, tell me where it is!” She cried out impatiently, slightly jumping in her place.  
“The settlement is in North Carolina,” Loki announced triumphantly.

Julia blinked, processing the information.

“What?” she asked dully. “No, the village can’t be in North Carolina... It went missing, remember? And it is still gone, I checked the news an hour ago...”  
“I do remember,” Loki replied. “I am not delusional. But I assure you that the settlement is in its usual place, in a province called North Carolina.”

\-----------

Director Coulson was having a hard time. He had lived through countless difficult and dangerous situations, he had even lived through his own death, but the problem he was facing now was utterly frustrating.

If he was to trust a bright shield with the words of warm welcome, the village was called Pine Springs. It was neat and small, and not at all different from other settlements of similar size - if it hadn’t been for its sudden appearance out of the blue right in the depth of Waccamaw nature reserve to the south of a small town called Carthage.

Director Coulson sighed and crossed a thin see-through veil which surrounded the settlement, leaving the confines of the village and heading towards the base. The air rippled as he broke through, and in the bright sunbeams one could see rainbow reflexes which made the dome above the settlement look like an enormous soap bubble. The laboratory technicians did not detect any poisonous nor contagious substances, and both his agents and Talbot’s men were freely moving inside the area. 

The population of Pine Springs counted three hundred and fifty two terrified people. All inhabitants were citizens of the U.S.A., but none of them was in the government database, as if they had never existed. Phil could not figure out why someone would forge three hundred and fifty two American ID cards, therefore he ordered to keep the people within the confines of the village until his men come up with an explanation. In the meantime, the Director had to handle a million small problems, which piled together into a huge mess. There was no electricity in the village, and there was no running water. With the help of General Talbot Phil secured the supply of food rations and drinking water for the inhabitants, and the first convoy was supposed to arrive thirty minutes ago.

Phil sighed and walked towards the field laboratory tent closest to the plane. 

“Director, we have a problem.”

As always, Agent May appeared out of nowhere. The Director rubbed his eyes, allowing himself to reveal his weariness to the closest colleague and friend.

“Indeed we do, Agent May. Did anyone contact the driver?”  
“To hell with food supplies!” The woman snapped sharply, and the tone of her voice made Phil brace himself for something much more grave. “We’ve got… _guests_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * for those who like mysteries of the past: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Colony


	24. Roads We Take

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Readers,
> 
> please enjoy a new chapter, starring: Phil Coulson, Loki (and his existential crisis), and Thor.
> 
> It is the longest one so far, but I hope it won't scare you off. At first I thougth of splitting the chapter into two parts, but it seems complete the way it is. It is VERY dramatic (I confess that I almost cried when proofreading it, but don't tell anyone! ^.^) but there is a small happy ending, and a hot sexytime ;)
> 
> I hope you like it ;)

Director Coulson slightly rocked from heels to toes, warily studying the couple in the interrogation room through a two-way mirror.

“Who is the female?”  
“Julia Kowalska, civilian, twenty six, Polish citizenship.”  
“Is she under mind control? A hostage?”  
“She doesn't look like one to me.” May said hesitantly.

Phil could not agree more. The girl yawned and rested her head on crossed arms, and nothing in her posture signalized to the Director any kind of discomfort from being so close to the Asgardian. The said Asgardian was just as Coulson remembered him: tall, green-eyed, armed and extremely dangerous. The alien stood in the centre of the small room straight as a spear, his eyes locked on the two-side glass. The girl delved into her pocket and lightly pushed Loki’s side, offering him chewing gum. The brunette briefly looked at her and shook his head, turning back to the agents behind the glass.

He has not killed anyone yet, which was good. All communication systems were down, even the mobile network, which could not be a simple coincidence.

“What in God's name is going on here?!” Phil whispered, watching the girl inside the interrogation room blow a big pink bubble.  
“I am not sure…” May’s voice sounded strange. Coulon rarely saw her in a state of confusion, but this situation clearly was something even she did not know how to handle.  
“How did you restrain him?” Phil turned to the woman by his side, his eyes sharp and strict. “Why am I the last one to learn about this situation? You engaged without an order, what you did is a major procedure violation. Do you know what this bastard can do alone?”  
“Director…” Agent Simmons swallowed and glanced at the deity behind the glass. “We did not engage.”

Phil sucked in the air and almost swore aloud.

“Then how the hell did he end up in there?”

“We… we didn’t do anything, really!” Gemma backed off a little under his glare. “All security systems went down, lights were off, and then they just came inside, and the woman said that she needs to see you. She even showed me her ID card!”

This was unexpected. Director Coulson has lived long enough to trust his feelings, and he got a bad feeling about this the moment when he followed May on board. At the very moment he came inside all exits sealed shut by themselves, and the power went off. It felt like the right time to assemble the Team, and Phil would have called for the Avengers, if it hadn’t been for complete failure of all communication systems. Phil and his team have been cut off from the rest of the world, literally taken hostage at their own plane by a hostile Norse God and a Polish female.

“Did she say what they want?”  
“She said they want to help.”

Behind the glass Loki sighed and turned to Julia.

“How much longer?” He snapped impatiently. “I do not have all day to waste.”  
“Come on, give them time. They need to see that we come in peace.” Julia asked beggingly. The man rolled his eyes.  
“I count to ten, and if they keep standing there like a flock of scared sheep, I go out.”  
“Loki, please!”  
“One!”

Julia angrily slapped his hand. The Asgardian snarled and turned away from her.

“Two. Six, seven.”  
“Loki!” She growled.  
“Eight, nine!’ The man sang out, and his right palm glimmered with blue.

A moment later the doorknob moved.

Director Coulson came inside. He looked older than Julia remembered from the movies - more exhausted, his back slightly hunched and his hair almost all grey. The man quietly shut the door behind his back. Even if he was nervous, the girl would not tell, so sure he looked when their eyes met. Phil Coulson turned to the Asgardian.

“Give me one good reason not to assemble the Avengers.” He said quietly. Loki's brows flew up.  
“Considering the fact that all your communication systems have been cut off, it might be only your good will holding you from bringing the wrath of the Avengers upon me, Commander.” Loki replied musingly. “Not to mention three hundred and fifty two humans from another Realm that you need to handle.”  
“What do you want?”  
“Allow me,” Julia cautiously got up from the chair, and Phil turned to her with a look of slight surprise on his face. “We want to help you…”  
“ _She_ wants to help.” Loki interrupted with an annoyed huff. “I don’t.”  
“But he will.” The girl grinned at the agent. “You see, this village which appeared out of nowhere comes from my world, which is a different kind of Earth, and I want it to be back in its place. Basically, it is the same thing you want. Loki here is my… contractor, and he will provide his kind assistance and advice to you, would there be such need. I hope the villagers are fine.”  
“They are all alive, we secured the supply of food rations and drinking water.” Coulson assured the girl. What she has just said sounded surreal, but he could not yet decide what surprised him more: the fact that the Norse God who had tried to conquer Earth arrived to his base with seemingly peaceful intentions, or the existence of a different dimension from which both the strange woman and the village had come from.  
“I am very sorry for breaking in, Mister Coulson, but it seemed like an only way to make sure we speak peacefully.” The young woman continued sheepishly. Phil could not help but notice the awe in her eyes. She clearly knew who he was, the question was where she had learned about him. A famous agent is a bad agent.  
“How do you know my name?” He asked.  
“It is complicated, and a really long story.” The girl hesitated. “I will be happy to explain everything, but maybe we could move somewhere more comfortable? Some place like a briefing room, with coffee and more chairs to sit on? Where the rest of your team could join?”

Phil considered his options. The insane couple which has already taken over his Bus had no reason to ask for permission. The woman said that the Asgardian was her contractor, but Director Coulson had no idea what it could mean. Loki and the female seemed completely incompatible at first sight, but after a moment of observation Director noticed that there was much more to their strange partnership that both of them wanted to show him. Anyway, the girl was the one to lead the negotiations, and something was telling Phil that if it hadn't been for her presence, his meeting with Loki wouldn't have been so peaceful.

“Fine.” He said simply. “Briefing room it is.”

Phil almost reached for the gun when the girl gave an excited squeal.

“We can come in!” She gasped and glanced at Loki with a wide grin. “Phil Coulson let me in!”  
“You are already in,” The Asgardian drawled.

The girl rolled her eyes and stretched her right hand out to the Director.

“Julia. So that you know, I am a big fan of yours.” Phil raised his brows when the girl energetically shook his hand. With a giggle she scurried out of the interrogation room and glanced at him over the shoulder at the door. “You are almost as cool as Batman!”

Director Coulson turned to Loki. Both glared at each other with mistrust and suspicion, and the strained silence lasted.

“Who the hell is Batman?” Phil spoke first. A sneer sharpened Loki's features.  
“Oh, Batman is a fictional character she admires. A rich Midgardian who masquerades as a bat and beats up mentally ill men.” He explained politely with mean delight. “Do feel honored, Commander Coulson.”

\----------

Julia kept the Ragnarok part of the story for herself, but the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. still had a lot to process. They were obviously used to handling non-standard situations. Coulson’s Team accepted well the news of a so-called Tenth Realm where all their adventures were nothing but fiction. It took them less time to get used to the idea, than it took Julia to believe that she was not dreaming. The girl was indeed on board of a famous S.H.I.E.L.D plane, accompanied by Phil Coulson, indestructible Agent May, and a couple of young British scientists.

They all gathered in a big conference room on the upper deck. Loki walked across the spacious premise and lowered himself on a spinning chair in the corner. The Asgardian stretched his back, studying the stiff faces of the agents standing in a semicircle around him. A young man with curly hair was so agitated he was slightly jumping in his place. He was the first to break the strained silence: he leaned over the table and impatiently glanced at Loki.

“Good that you are here, because I have no idea what is going on.” He confessed.  
“Of course you do not,” Loki drawled with a bored look on his face. Fitz blinked, a confused frown crossing his forehead.

Julia folded her arms on the chest. Loki looked like he owned the place: he was slightly rocking on the chair with a faint smile on his lips, clearly enjoying the situation. The power was still out, and the crimson emergency lights were adding a dramatic touch to their gathering.

“Will you _please_ tell him?” Julia hissed. Loki huffed at her, but obediently got up.  
“Fine.” He replied peaceably.

The Asgardian snapped his fingers, and the ceiling lamps shone, blinding the agents with bright light. Loki carelessly threw on the tabletop a crumpled printout with a satellite map image.

“When I heard of the accident for the first time, I thought that the settlement had just dissolved, but later I realized that I was wrong. The terrain which switched places with the village is a perfect round piece which you can see on the map - the color of the grass is different, and there are less trees. Besides, on the map you can see a road running through the forest: it ends abruptly, and then reappears on the other side of the place where the settlement had once been.”  
“It is like a fitting piece of a puzzle from a different set,” Fitz mused, studying the map. “Incredible.”  
“Next thing I did was request Heimdall’s assistance. His vision does not reach to the Tenth Realm, so the task was simple. I asked if he had witnessed any previously unnoticed living creatures, and he said yes. This is how I learned that the village ended up within the confines of the Nine Realms.”

Fitz rested his chin on a fist and hugged himself with another hand, slightly rocking back and forth, his eyes locked at the small crumpled map.

“All right, now we know where the village comes from.” The scientist suddenly glanced at Julia and smiled. “I am familiar with theories about endless dimensions and alternative realities, but I never thought that I would live to meet a girl who thinks that I am a fictional character. It doesn’t feel right, you know.”

Julia spread her arms in an apologetic gesture. She wondered if in any world she had never heard of she was made into a fictional character as well.

“The only question is how to return the settlement into its usual place.” Phil’s voice snapped the girl out of her thoughts. “Any ideas?”

Fitz chewed on his lips, staring at the semi-transparent illusion of the Ten Realms, slowly swirling and spinning above the ceiling. Loki completely ignored the question - the Asgardian was studying a small bowl of hard candy on the table with undivided attention.

“Loki?” Julia called for him a moment before he fetched a buttermint. The man sighed.  
“What?” He asked grumpily. “Do not demand answers from me. I think I have helped more than enough.”  
“No, you have not!” Julia snapped. “Come on, you are the only wizard in this party!”

Phil watched his uninvited guests with interest. The woman was determined to help, and Phil could see that her wish was sincere. However, she was in possession of some information about S.H.I.E.L.D. that no civilian was supposed to have, whatever dimension she had come from. Besides, Director Coulson had a feeling that there was much more to the story than his guests wanted to share with him willingly. Too bad Phil could not trust them. Too bad he could not just let them go.

The Asgardian smirked at Julia and turned to Agent Fitz.

“The dome above the village. What have you noticed, scholar?”  
The scientist hesitated. “Well, it looks like a soap bubble with rainbow reflexes.”  
“Exactly. Does it say anything to you?” Loki attentively studied Fitz.  
“Well…” The young man glanced at Phil, seeking encouragement, but then pressed his lips into a thin line and straightened his back. “I have heard that your people use a so-called Rainbow Bridge in order to travel through dimensions. If I understand correctly, it is a stream of energy which is being controlled and steered by the designated Norse God, Heimdall...”  
“You are right,” The Asgardian seemed satisfied with the response, he almost smiled at Fitz. “The rainbow dome above the settlement made me suspect that the magical anomaly which had caused the village to move is of the same nature as the Bifrost. It would mean, that the energy can be guided.”  
“Can Heimdall bring the village back to its place?”  
‘I do not think so,” Loki slowly shook his head, his eyes distant and dimmed as he considered the problem. “Heimdall is unable to use the energy of the Rainbow Bridge for any different purpose, but his help will be essential… If the magic which moved the settlement works the same way as the Bifrost, the only way to reverse the impact would be with a stream of energy of the same force. Heimdall can open the passage, but it needs to be steered properly.”

Leo’s face lit up with excitement. The scientist pulled a chair closer and sat down by Loki’s side.

“I would guess that you are the only one among us with magical abilities. You could redirect the strand of energy...”  
“Not with my bare hands,” Loki smirked. “But yes, this is the point. When the passage opens, I can try to steer the Bifrost, but my powers alone might not be enough to control it. Heimdal uses a steering device, and I would need one with similar functions.”

“I will make sure you get what you need.” Fitz declared and opened the laptop.

It took Julia three minutes to lose the thread of the conversation. The discussion between the two men was getting more scientific and agitated with every second.

“Can I help you two with something?” Julia asked, not hoping for an answer, so concerned and detached both men looked.  
“No, we are good.” The scientist jumped to his feet and tossed his head towards the door, urging Loki to follow. “I just need to borrow your partner for a short moment.”

\----------

A short moment turned into a couple of hours, at least. Loki and Fitz settled down in the lab at the lower deck, Director Coulson disappeared right after Loki had unlocked the plane exits, and Julia ended up together with Agent Simmons in a cozy dining room with soft couches and a long counter separating the leisure lounge from the kitchen area. Julia suspected that she had been sent away in order not to bother the men while they would be solving the matters of life and death. Also, Phil Coulson clearly did not trust her enough to let her walk around his plane alone, which was understandable.

Gemma handed to Julia a cup of tea.

“I am so excited, I cannot believe that your world is full of fairytale creatures! It must be like a dream come true!”  
“Not exactly,” All her adventures felt like a never-ending walk through the Forbidden Forest at night. Julia sometimes wondered what Harry Potter would do if he had been thrown out into the wild like she was: he would probably freak out. The scientist gave Julia a broad encouraging smile and impatiently shifted on her seat, clearly waiting for her to continue. “All right. It all started on Christmas eve…”

It took Julia almost three hours, four cups of tea and half a bag of chocolate muffins to give Agent Simmons an overview of her latest adventures. At first the girl intended to make her story brief, but it was the first time she could actually speak to someone of the monsters she had come across, of all the crazy events she had lived through, and Julia kept talking, unable to stop. Gemma sat across the table, hypnotized and thrilled. For her, the story must have seemed like a fairytale come true - a violent and very scary fairytale. And in Gemma’s place Julia would pray for it to stay this way.

“I can’t believe it is always that bad!” The scientist seemed a little disappointed. “There must be some nice creatures! What about unicorns? Pixies?”  
“I haven’t met a unicorn yet,” Julia giggled. “The only beast that did not try to kill us was a leprechaun, but instead he gave Loki a magical potion with weed which made him ginger and crazy…”

The scientist’s eyes sparkled with interest, and the woman hesitantly took a big sip of tea. There was clearly something that Gemma was very willing and very ashamed to ask, and Julia patiently waited.

“You are _dating_ him, aren’t you?” Gemma finally breathed out.  
“Loki? Well, I guess you can call it that way…” Julia shrugged.

Gemma leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper.

“Did he make you do it?”  
“What?!”  
“I… I am terribly sorry for being so rude, I know it is a private matter, but from what I know, Loki is very dangerous and hostile, this is why I am asking... Did he threaten your family?”  
“No! Of course not!” Julia cried out with a nervous laugh.  
“Does he tie you up so that you wouldn't run away?” The scientist went on, clenching a cup of tea. “Because in case he does, I want you to know that we can help, if you just tell Phil.”  
“No! Why would you even think…” Julia shook her head in disbelief. “I am fine, honestly, Loki is not a maniac! He did not force me into anything! And I actually need to go… to the bathroom. Sorry!”

Julia darted out of the glass doors with hot burning cheeks and hurried down the wide passage, hoping that it would get her to the lab. Girl talk had never been her thing, and it was time to check on Loki and Fitz anyway. The plane was enormous, and Julia somehow ended up in the car hangar. She hesitated, recalling the plan Phil had courteously given her - which she had carelessly left in her cabin. Julia rocked from heels to toes and suddenly bumped into something with her back, and a pair of strong hands wrapped around her waist, pressing the girl closer.

“Did she believe you?” Loki purred, leaning to her ear. “Just to make things clear between us, I am open to your propositions if you come to think of our affair as boring. Just say one word if you ever want to... _play_. Personally, I find the idea of tying you up very compelling, sweet bird.”

Julia sucked in a loud breath, doing her best not to moan when she felt Loki harden as he pressed himself to her from behind. The man lightly brushed his fingers over her cheek and then touched her temple. Julia felt slight prickling on her scalp, and suddenly the grey passage of the S.H.I.E.L.D. plane faded before her eyes. She gasped, falling into the dark void.

_Julia jerked sharply, but the tight straps on her wrists restrained the movement. The girl could not see a thing. She felt soft material on her nose and cheeks, which would mean that she was not blind, only blindfolded._

_“Hello?” Julia cried out nervously. With her eyesight blocked by a strap of silky cloth, her other senses were waking up. The girl was kneeling on a soft bed completely naked - the cool air sent shivers up her spine. Julia moved her hands again, this time carefully, and felt a long piece of material stretching from her wrists to the head of the bed. She could hear quiet crackling of a fire at a distance, which would mean that she was not home - after the demonic creature had destroyed her fireplace, Julia walled up the chimney. She jerked again in panic, her breath ragged and loud._

_She sensed him more than she heard him - a slight movement of the air near her face. A light brush of Loki’s hand caressed the girl’s cheek and lips._

_“Loki,” Julia smiled with relief._  
_“Are you scared?” His voice was low and hoarse. Julia shook her head and licked her lips. When the tip of her tongue brushed over Loki’s fingers, she heard the man growl, and the pressure of his finger over her mouth increased, urging Julia to part her lips. “Open your mouth, sweet bird.”_

_The girl obeyed. The cool air did not bother her anymore - instead, she felt the heat rise from her lower belly and sweep all over her body. Julia dipped her head forward, taking Loki’s fingers deeper into her mouth and tightening her lips around them. The man moaned, and Julia felt a satisfied smile lift the corners of her lips as she imagined the look on his face._

_“Does the feeling of power over me bring you joy?” Loki hissed, and Julia felt his other hand grab her hair. The Asgardian sharply forced her head up, and his hot breath burned the girl’s face. “Do you even know what you are doing to me?!”_

_Julia whined in pain, but Loki sealed her mouth with a fierce kiss. The man held her firmly, and his hot tongue pushed into her mouth, greedily seeking hers. Julia arched her back, breathless and lost in the haze of arousal. Loki’s kiss was rough and animal-like, but this was exactly what she craved, and her tongue was meeting his with the same passion and need. She tugged on Loki’s lower lip with her teeth and felt his grip in her hair tighten._

_The man suddenly pulled back from her, and Julia was left alone in the darkness, shuddering with unresolved desire._

_“Loki?” She whimpered, trying to calm her breath. “Loki, I want you!”_

_Julia felt the man’s palm trace her jawline, and then slide down her breast to squeeze the gentle flesh. His hands traveled all over her body, stroking her skin with movements as light as the wings of a butterfly, taunting and tender. The girl squirmed and moaned, shamelessly spreading her thighs open, but Loki did not reach out to touch her womanhood, prolonging the exquisite and sensual torture with seemingly innocent caresses._

_“Please, let me see you at least!” Julia begged him, and he listened. With one sharp move Loki ripped the strap of material off her face and leaned to kiss the girl again, his lips cool against hers. The man was naked as well, and the flames of the fireplace were coloring his pale skin with a shade of orange. Loki broke the kiss, and the girl looked around, noticing tall carved columns and heavy furniture._

_“Is it my fantasy or yours?” Julia breathed out into his lips. Loki pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, panting heavily._  
_“I don’t know anymore.” He confessed. “What would you do if it had been yours? Speak, I will follow your every word.”_

_Julia studied him with surprise. The man was willingly giving away the control - if she had ordered him to untie her arms Loki would have done it, she knew it. But it was not what she wanted._

_“Let me think,” the girl licked her lips and noticed the hungry look on the man’s face as he watched her tongue move. “If it had been my fantasy, I would do anything you want me to…”_  
_“Anything?” Loki purred with delight, and the sound of his voice sent shivers down the girl’s spine._  
_“Anything,” Julia smirked. “But you have to ask nicely.”_

_His fingers tangled in her hair again, and Loki pushed her head down, gently yet firmly, and in the next moment the head of his cock was pressed to her lips._

_“Please?” He asked, the look of innocence on his face so false that Julia could barely hold a laugh._

_The girl parted her lips and slowly circled the tip of his manhood with her tongue, spreading a moist drop all over it. She looked up, studying Loki’s reaction. The Asgardian was breathing heavily, his eyes dark and locked on her face._

_“Do this again,” Loki whispered and slightly rocked his hips forward. He was so aroused that every touch felt like an electric jolt, causing a heatwave sweep over his body. The girl’s tongue was hot and moist, and the world ceased to exist as Julia kept caressing him with long slow licks and teasing faint kisses. Thick white mist filled his head, and the man closed his eyes, losing control and not trying to hold the moans anymore._

_Loki growled and tightened the grip in Julia’s hair, instinctively thrusting his thighs forward and pushing his manhood deeper into her mouth. The girl did not protest, and her lips rolled down his length, causing the man to gasp and shudder. The Asgardian tilted his head back, whispering her name again and again and dissolving in the avalanche of sensations, as the girl kept sucking harder and faster, and he begged her not to stop._

_Julia locked her lips tightly around the man’s pulsating shaft, realizing how close he was to his release. She would have never thought that caressing the other person could be so arousing, but the hoarse sounds of Loki’s growls and moans were so intoxicating that she was on the edge herself..._

A distant sound of a shutting door and footsteps made the illusion fade. Loki took his fingers away from her temple and hesitantly stepped back. Julia blinked, getting used to the bright lights in the hangar. Behind her back the Asgardian growled, and the girl slowly turned to face him.

“Norns, woman,” he whispered, eyes sparkling feverishly with desire when he looked at her.

The steps were approaching, and Loki loudly sucked in the air, awkwardly adjusting his pants and coat.

“While you gossiped with that nosy wench, with the scholar’s assistance I found a way to transport the settlement back to your Realm.” The Asgardian said, doing his best to sound calm and businesslike. “I went to seek you to share the news.”

Julia nodded. The fantasy they have just shared was so real that she could still feel the touch of Loki's hands on her skin.

“I cannot recall seeing you anywhere around the kitchen,” She breathed out, “How do you happen to know what Gemma asked me about?”  
“I have my ways,” Loki replied cagily. “Come with me. The scholar wishes to present the device he had designed.”

Julia followed Loki, trying in vain to focus on the task which lay ahead of them. The unresolved arousal was making her head spin a little, and from the perplexed and detached look on Loki's face she could tell that it was hard for him to focus as well.

“I can't believe Phil let you walk around the plane alone.” Julia huffed in disbelief.  
“Do you think the Commander had a choice?” The Asgardian laughed and with a short bow let the girl walk first into the lab.

Director Coulson greeted them with a short nod. As soon as Loki shut the door, Fitz hit a button submerged into the lab counter, and a three-dimensional model of a big gun started to swirl in the air.

“Since we all have gathered here, I am proud to share the results of our research. I present to you a… hm-m... power cannon.” Fitz grinned and rubbed his hands together. “The device is designed to catch the stream of energy and hold it long enough for Loki to send the village back. Basically, the cannon in his hands will work like a lightning rod. It will absorb the excessive amount of energy flowing through the Bifrost, and at the same time it should smoothen out the possible negative effects on his organism and allow me to keep track of his vitals during the operation. What you see here is still a rather raw model, but it will be perfect when I am done. Unfortunately, there is no way to test the gadget beforehand because there is only one village that needs to be moved through dimensions; besides, we are rather time-pressed… The only thing left now is to put the device together.”  
“How much time will you need?” Phil Coulson asked, staring at a see-through model. He seemed satisfied.  
“Four and a half hours, five tops.”  
“Are you sure it will work?”

Loki and the scientist shared a slightly irritated look. Fitz energetically shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, but Loki was first.

“Do we look like we do this every day?” The Asgardian drawled. “The answer is no.”  
“I am seventy five percent certain that the operation will be successful.” Fitz said uneasily, trying to balance out Loki's response.  
“Good. We start at 3 A.M. - at this hour we have the highest probability that the terrain in the other dimension will be empty. Government officials prefer to operate at daytime, this way we can be sure that none of them will be brought here.” Phil recited. “Fitz, get to work.”

At night Loki lay on his back with his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling of the tiny compartment. He had to admit that he felt a little agitated. He would never acknowledge it openly, but it felt good to be able to move freely around the super-secret S.H.I.E.L.D facility. It felt good to have more knowledge than these agents did. It felt good to have power over the Midgardians who had once attempted to restrain him, and now accepted his guidance willingly.

The girl's steps were quiet, and he rather felt her presence than heard Julia approach the door.

“Loki?” she called quietly from outside, and the Asgardian lazily moved his fingers to unlock the door. The girl squeezed into the tiny room and tiptoed towards the narrow bed.

Loki sat up and lowered his feet on the floor to make room for her. Julia took a deep breath and decisively shook her head at his welcoming gesture - a sign of distress Loki knew too well. She would probably start pacing if the sleeping quarters hadn't been so small.

“You look like you will explode if you don’t speak.” Loki said with a sigh. “I am listening.”  
“The magical impulse has caused a whole village to move. I was just thinking, what might happen next? Will bigger cities change places? New York, London, Moscow?! What if the two planets will simply crash into each other when the day of the Convergence comes? You said that my world is a reflection of this one, but what if a reflection is meant to disappear? Loki, i don't want my planet to disappear! I don’t want _me_ to disappear!”

Loki took a deep breath. He could have pulled Julia into a tight embrace, he could have told her that it will all be fine, but she was not stupid, and he respected the girl too much to sell her a shameless lie.

“I hope this is not how your world rejoins the Nine Realms… But it is a possibility that I would consider.” He said simply.

Julia squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and took a deep breath.

“Fine,” her voice sounded almost normal when she spoke. “I will discuss this with Phil Coulson in the morning. Maybe Fitz would have some ideas…”  
“This young scholar boy?”  
“Yes.” Julia nodded and smirked, noticing a slight change in Loki’s expression. “You like him.”  
“No, I do not.” He replied plainly.  
“Yes, you do,” the girl was grinning openly at the Asgardian. “Don't lie to me.”

Loki huffed and folded his arms on his chest.

“You adore the Commander so much,” He said. “Why?”

“Are you talking about Phil Coulson?” Julia frowned. “Well, it is because... he is Phil Coulson. I am surprised you don't remember him. You killed him during your escape from the helicarrier.”

There was no response for a moment. Loki stared at the girl with surprise and amusement, as if she had just said something incredibly naive and foolish.

“Of course I do not remember.” The Asgardian replied with a short uneasy laugh. “Why should I? The man was nothing more than one of the pathetic insects which tried to stand in my way and failed.”

Julia sighed. She would prefer to finish this conversation right now, but Loki’s attentive and sharp gaze made her understand that the discussion was not over.

“Back to the point.” Loki said. “You come and offer these men help, but they do not trust you enough even to let you move around the flying vehicle on your own. And still, you look at this agent with awe.”  
“Is it so important?” Julia could clearly see a conflict growing.  
“Yes.” Loki suddenly snapped at her and got up. “Answer the question, and do not dare lie to me.”  
“All right…” Julia shifted on her feet, searching for the right words. “I think that it is a normal thing to admire those who devote their lives to saving others and helping people. Men like Phil Coulson are brave and selfless. Don’t forget, the guy died on duty, trying to stop a dangerous criminal... I think it earns him at least a little respect.”

Loki clenched his jaw.

“Oh!” Julia got so carried away that she did not even realize what she had said. It was a change in the man’s posture that made her understand something was not right. “I didn't mean to…”  
“To call me a criminal?! Well, of course you didn't!” Loki crooned.  
“Loki...”  
“Go on, speak!” He growled and stepped closer, forcing Julia to back away. “It seems like I finally got a chance to learn what you really think of me.”  
“No!” The girl shook her head. “This is not what _I_ think, it is just…”  
“You are being dishonest.” Loki narrowed his eyes.  
“Oh, come on!” Julia cried out, helplessly throwing her hands in the air. “I am not trying to make you feel guilty, but these are the facts: yes, you are dangerous, and yes - you are a criminal. Last time you’ve been here, you destroyed an entire city and tried to take over the planet. It explains why these people do not trust us, doesn’t it?”

Loki snarled at the girl.

“Indeed, I am to blame. So, what do you want me to do now? Should I hold hands with this Phil Coulson and his agent scum? Should I kneel and beg for forgiveness?”  
“No, but you should not behave like these people are dirt on your boots. They are doing the same thing as us, trying to save others. As I said, for this they are worthy of some respect.” The girl replied quietly. “And please do not be mad! You said you wanted an honest answer, or would you prefer me to wrap it up for you like a present?”  
“No.” Loki knew that he had done some bad things, and the maid hadn’t said anything new, but it felt as if she had spilled a bucket of slops all over him. “I… I would prefer you to leave.”

Julia stared at him in disbelief and confusion. Every single time when they had spoken before, Loki was delighted with his dubious achievements, but now the Asgardian did not seem proud of having caused chaos and mayhem. What’s more, he was extremely upset, and the girl could not understand the reason for such radical change of attitude.

“Loki, can we talk about this?” Julia asked cautiously. “Please!”  
“There is nothing to talk about.” The Asgardian spat out coldly. “Leave.”  
“No,” the girl replied stubbornly. “I won’t go away until you let me explain. I didn’t mean to offend you…”

Loki pursed his lips and suddenly pushed her back, causing Julia to hit her head on the solid surface of the door.

“What else is there left to explain?” The Asgardian hissed, tightening his grip on the girl’s shoulders. “You have made your point clear. Indeed, I am an outlaw, a usurper, a dangerous violent beast. Thank you for reminding me of this.”  
“Loki, no…” Julia bit her lip, trying not to burst into tears from the feeling of weakness and the sharp pain in the back of her head.  
_“Get out.”_

He let her go, and there was so much disdain and scorn in his eyes that Julia did not try to fix the situation anymore. Without a word she pushed the door open. Loki closed his eyes, listening to the sound of quiet steps fade.

\----------

Julia spent the rest of the night sleepless, sitting on the bed in her quarters and hypnotizing the clock. She hoped that by the time operation starts Loki would calm down enough to listen to her and accept the apology. The girl felt like the most inconsiderate pig in the whole Universe, and the guilt was making her even more nervous about the upcoming venture.

Fitz was still in the lab when Julia marched in. He sat on the floor with his head low, an open laptop on his knees. The device he had been working on was ready. Julia carefully took a huge weapon from the counter, and the scientist jumped awake.

“I finished it an hour ago…” He muttered and rubbed his red eyes. “Just wanted to check a couple of parameters and fell asleep.”

The power cannon looked like an overgrown Nerf gun - with a pistol-like grip, a long wide barrel and dozens of cables, big and small, connecting sensors to the grip. A small white display with statistics was fastened with duct tape.

“What?!” Fitz snapped when he noticed an expression of disbelief on Julia’s face. “Duct tape is an underrated material. Trust me, it will work.”  
“Yes, about that...” The girl frowned and placed the device back on the table. “You said that chances of success are seventy five percent. What about the other twenty five?”  
“You mean, what if this thing fails?” Fitz asked without certainty.  
“Exactly.” Julia rested her elbows on the table and focused an attentive gaze on the young man. “You haven’t tested the device. What if this cannon won’t work properly after Loki opens the Rainbow Bridge? Will the energy stream dissolve?”

Julia noticed the scientist hesitate, and his diffidence was making her feel more nervous with every second. He was either very unsure of the possible outcome, or just unwilling to share it with her.

“I… I cannot answer this at once.” Fitz ruffled his hair. “I mean, this is an unprecedented situation, both the village and this… energy stream redirection. All calculations we made were based on our assumptions and very limited knowledge…”  
“Oh no, this is not the risk assessment I expect from you!” Julia hissed at the man. The girl tried to hold herself together, but the cold twist in her stomach was squeezing tighter with every second. “You are the scientist here, this is your project and your responsibility! Make a prediction, calculate, say something, for fuck’s sake!”

Fitz took a deep breath and gave up.

“All right! There are two possible reasons for failure. One - we made a mistake in the calculations, and the cannon will not sustain the power of the energy stream. Two - all our assumptions were false, and the Bifrost cannot be redirected. In both cases, the uncontrolled stream of pure energy will most likely burn all living tissue in place where it reaches the ground, causing immediate death to Loki. These are the twenty five percent.”

“What?! You must be joking!” Julia laughed nervously. “You must call this thing off! I mean, the chances that Loki will die are too high, every analyst will tell you the same… Does Loki know? Does Phil Coulson know?”

Fitz bit his lip, and Julia clenched her hands together, silently begging for a different answer than she already saw in the man’s eyes.

“Director knows.” The scientist finally breathed out. “He ordered to proceed.”

Julia could have expected this. Phil Coulson was not stupid to reject help, and Phil Coulson was a rational man who knew how to calculate benefits and potential losses. It was obvious that he would not care if Loki lives or dies, but still it was hard to believe that the Director would risk the well-being of three hundred people in the village.

“What about the villagers? Did you consider that they will all burn to death as well?”  
“They won’t… The impact will be powerful, but very concentrated. Even if there is an explosion, the radius will fit within the confines of a parking lot in the centre of the village. In case of operation failure the civilians will be left unharmed. They will probably have to stay in our dimension forever, but they will survive.”

Loki had been standing there for some time already, leaning over the doorframe and watching the maid argue with the scholar. The Commander’s decision to proceed with the operation despite high chances of failure did not come as a surprise to him. Loki locked his eyes on the coal-black grip of the cannon in Julia’s hands - the material so dark it seemed to be absorbing the light, and a swirl of associations flew through his head, causing him to remember one thing. The sudden revelation did not fill him with bliss; on the contrary, it brought cold terror. The High Treasurer of Asgard who had gone missing spent more than a hundred years in office, but Loki could not recall his face. He kept straining his mind in vain attempts to remember if the Treasurer had a beard, if his hair was grey, and what color his eyes were, but the memory of the advisor’s face was blurred. And the man had never spoken to Loki first - now he remembered it well.

The faceless ones were closer than he could have imagined, and they were coming after him.

At this moment Loki realized that the dreadful prediction of failure the scholar boy had been forced to voice did not scare him at all. He felt strangely numb and indifferent. Maybe it was for the better - if he gets burned to death, there is no chance he will start Ragnarok. If he lives - the end will come anyway, and the undead will flood the Nine Realms. There was no escape, and there was no point in fighting. And Loki did the same thing he had done back then, on the shattered Rainbow Bridge, when all was lost and the dark void was calling for him. _He let go._

Without a word Loki approached the lab counter and reached for the cannon. The girl turned to him and spoke, but her voice was strangely distant.

“Loki!” Julia cried out, nervously clenching her hands together. “You heard what Fitz just said... It is insane! You are not doing it, right?”

He did not even look at her.

“The car must be waiting outside already.” Fitz said uneasily. Loki gave him a short nod, then shouldered the cannon and headed towards the door.

“Stop ignoring me!” Julia yelled. “If you decided to play a hero just for spite, you chose the wrong time! It is serious! Are you really willing to get burnt to death? Loki, please! I… I disapprove of this!”

Loki stopped at the door and glanced at Julia over the shoulder.

“Why would you?!” The Asgardian huffed. “This is what I am supposed to do. We have a contract, remember?”

Yes, Julia remembered, but she could not allow Loki to risk his life in a venture with such uncertain outcome.

It all felt like a weird, scary dream. Phil Coulson willing to risk the life of a dangerous alien for the sake of bringing the village back to its place was understandable, but Loki who would not care if he lives or dies, Loki who was stubbornly walking towards his own doom was something she could hardly imagine. The worst thing was that she could do nothing to stop him - all his actions fully corresponded to the provisions of their agreement.

Julia groaned and darted after the Asgardian. She sharply pulled his sleeve, and when the man looked at her his eyes were so cold and distant that Julia almost felt a blow of winter wind on her skin.

“Loki, I know that you are angry with me, you should be, because I am an idiot and I am very sorry for what I said. You can hate me, despise me, but please, don’t go there. To Hell with the contract!” The girl begged him. “Please, don’t do it…”

“Why not? Don't forget, I am a dangerous criminal at your service... and you are pathetic, weak human scum.” Loki gave a short cold laugh. “There is nothing more to it… and there will never be. Did you think that anything changes between us since I fucked you? Did you think any of it matters?!”

Loki moved his shoulder, and Julia let go of his sleeve. She helplessly watched him walk towards a line of cars waiting by the plane, the bright headlights cutting through the darkness. A long spike was turning in her heart, and the pain was so absorbing that Julia could hardly breathe. The sharp spike was covered in poison, there was no other reason that it would hurt so much.

\----------

_It actually mattered a lot._

Since the day Loki had fallen off the shattered Rainbow Bridge, he thought that nothing would hurt him anymore. It seemed that the thick darkness of the void which had swallowed him created a thick shell around his heart. Even the death of the Queen hurt less than he expected it would, but it must have been the last drop. With Frigga passing away his ability to feel anything at all was gone, making both grief and joy, hate and affection nothing but artificial constructs Loki had once known - and honestly, he would prefer it to stay this way, but fate had other plans.

The ability to feel came back to Loki on the night when he descended to the unknown Realm in an attempt to catch an evil demonic creature which had stolen a human child. Everything went wrong at the moment when he came into an empty dark house, searching for traces of magic which would allow him to recreate the portal and follow the beast.

When he woke up with terrible headache and all his powers blocked by a magical barrier, the impenetrable shell around his heart cracked. Loki stared at a scared human maid with a black eye and a crowbar clutched in her hands, and felt a tide of vexation rise within him. A weak and inferior creature trapped him by complete accident; but what was worse, the wench was not planning to let him go. The woman was insolent enough to question him and make demands, and the emotions which came next were so strong Loki almost suffocated. He stood in front of the maid, helpless and shuddering with hate and disgust, and the desire to make the woman suffer grew so strong that Loki could not think clearly. With the red mist of wrath and resentment filling his head, Loki made the worst decision in his entire life. Instead of trying to trick the woman into letting him go, he chose to punish her with instant, unbearable burning pain… at the same time punishing himself with a year of service.

At first Loki despised and hated the maid for his own weakness, and he wished for nothing else but to see her die, until one day he just didn’t. Every living creature has an ability to adapt to the situation, no matter how unbeneficial and difficult, and Loki must have gotten used to his... _situation_. With hate gone, there was suddenly room for other emotions, and Loki learned to respect the Midgardian. It took him several months to notice that the young woman was lovely, brave and clever, compassionate and kind. She was kind even to _him_ , though he clearly did not deserve it, and when Loki admitted it, there came the shame and the craving for changes. Within several weeks their strained partnership grew into a romantic affair so naturally that sometimes Loki would catch himself wondering if fate exists after all.

Since the first time the maid had lain with him, he could not help but feel strangely dissatisfied and anxious. It was hard to tell what exactly he wished for, he just wanted... _more_. At some point Loki realized that he remembered clearly every single moment he had spent in the girl’s company, and the seven months were so intense that they felt like seven centuries. And he caught himself wishing for these centuries to lay ahead of the both of them.

Too bad it would never be possible. Loki jumped out of a black car on an empty parking lot and looked up into the dark starry sky. The vehicle turned around and as the rumble of engine kept growing quieter, the feeling of despair and misery swept over Loki again, but this time it was a thousand times stronger than in the lab.

There was something about the maid and all these people which made him perceive them as one group. They all were selfless and righteous, they all would put the common good above their own. Even though the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. mistrusted the girl, she fitted with them - and he did not, which did not come as a surprise, because he never fitted anywhere.

The youngest King of Asgard who was not the legitimate Allfather. The first ice giant to rule the land of the Aesir.

_The dangerous criminal who would never be a part of something bigger._

“All the villagers are in their houses. We begin in thirty seconds.” Loki heard the voice of Commander Coulson in a small communication device in his ear, and nodded, forgetting that the man did not see him. “Twenty seconds. Ten seconds. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Go.”

Loki took a deep breath and sharply pulled the bolt at the side of the heavy cannon. A line of white lights shone along the barrel, a strange bracelet-like sensor locked around his wrist, and the Asgardian felt the device vibrate.

“Vitals are normal, the device is ready.” Fitz pattered nervously. “Good luck.”

Loki almost laughed. Who needs luck when all of them will die anyway after the faceless ones bring Ragnarok?

“Heimdall, open the Bifrost!” He commanded, and felt a familiar vibration of matter as the stream of energy cut through the space and dimensions. Loki shifted on his feet, seeking stability, and shouldered the heavy weapon, aiming it at the dark clouds above his head.

The Asgardian caught a glimpse of light behind the clouds and pulled the trigger. The stream of energy reached him and Loki felt a powerful hit, as if an enormous hammer had fallen at him from the sky. The loud wet crack indicated a broken shoulder, and the man cried out in pain, almost letting go of the cannon. The device whirred, and Loki felt the pressure on his shoulder increase with every second. He collapsed on his knees, cringing in pain and feeling the world swirl a little.

“Increased heart rate,” Loki heard a distant voice in his communication bead and tried to focus on it. "We've got an injury!"

The dark silhouettes of houses around him faded away, and instead Loki saw tall dark tree trunks and a small round lake. The device worked - he was in both Midgards at the same time. The voice in his ears was barely audible, and turned into a steady hiss when Loki sank deeper in between the dimensions. He looked around, with interest contemplating the two overlapping sceneries constantly change around him. The knowledge of what to do next came to Loki on instinct level. He looked up, at the stream of light slightly swaying above his head, and recited the familiar spell he always used to open a portal.

“I intend to travel far. Open the door, grant me passage…” The ground beneath Loki’s feat shook, responding to his whisper, and the Asgardian reached out towards the swirling portal, concentrating on the image of a dark wild meadow that he intended to carry back to its place.

Julia hesitantly adjusted the headset and lifted a binocular to her eyes, feeling her hands shake. The sound of Loki's mocking laughter was still ringing in her ears.

_Did you think any of it matters?_

Yes, she actually did, however naive and stupid it was. The girl bit her lip and focused on a tall figure visible at a distance, on an empty parking lot among low buildings. Loki called for Heimdall and placed a cannon on his shoulder, and a second later a strand of pure white energy fell at him from the sky. Julia heard Loki cry out in pain and her heart missed a beat when she saw him collapse on his knees, crushed by the pressure.

The stream of light was slightly swaying, like a tornado connecting the ground and the sky. The blinding white halo above the village was so bright that tears were running down Julia’s face, and yet she could not look away, desperately seeking out a lonely figure at the parking lot - but it was not there anymore. For a short moment the girl was sure she heard Loki’s voice whispering some kind of a spell, but then the sound faded, and all Julia could hear in the small wireless headset was a steady hiss of an empty frequency. Then the ground beneath her feet shook, and the see-through dome above the village sparkled with all colors of the rainbow, and then popped like a soap bubble. A strong gust of wind lifted the dust and small stones from the ground and hit the girl in the chest. Julia pressed her palms to the face, trying to cover her mouth and nose from the dust, and waiting for the hurricane to calm down.

When Julia opened her eyes she saw a silver moon shining down on a pristine meadow. There was no sign of the settlement, only a small deep lake with dark waters, and a grove. The operation was a success.

“Loki?” Julia whispered, staring at the sea of grass rippling under the wind.

He was not there. The girl slowly took a step forward, and then another one, unwilling to believe her own eyes and desperately searching for a tall silhouette in the twilight.

“Miss, remain in your position...” Some agent held her by the sleeve, and his touch snapped the girl out of the trance.  
“Fuck off!” She growled and darted forward, towards the centre of the empty valley. A cold clutch of despair in her chest made it hard to breathe.

Behind her back the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. were making the necessary preparations.

“Call for the Team.” Phil ordered shortly, but Julia was too far away to hear his words.

If the apprehension goes as planned, Phil will leave the new Director with some very important intel about the parallel dimension, and maybe a dangerous prisoner to take care of.*

Julia stopped abruptly at the edge of a deep wide crater. The soil under her boots was pitch-black and melted, and the girl whimpered when she saw Loki’s body stretched on the ground. Then the man moved, and Julia pressed a shaky hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a happy cry. In the bright moonlight she could see that his clothing was burnt and covered in dust. The Asgardian looked exhausted, and his moves were slow as he heavily got up on his knees, but he was alive. Their eyes met.

“I am starting to think that playing a hero just for spite was a bad idea,” Loki coughed out the dust and winced when he tried to move his right hand.

Julia blinked dully, so numb with relief that it took her some time to understand the words. Then she let out a short yelp and leaped forward.

The girl clumsily slid down the side of the deep hole, raising a cloud of dust in the air, and rammed the Asgardian straight in the middle of the chest, closing a tight embrace around his neck. Julia hit the rocky solid ground with her knees, but she did not feel the pain. Loki wobbled under the force of her advance and almost collapsed on his back. The girl clutched his tunic in her fingers, crying and feeling her whole body tremble. She knew the Asgardian good enough already to tell that he disapproved of public demonstration of feelings and considered such behaviour inappropriate and shameful. Julia realized that she was crossing the line, and bit her lips so hard that she felt a salty metallic taste of blood on her tongue. Maybe it did not matter to him, but it mattered to her. _He_ mattered. When Julia felt Loki move she expected him to push her away, and she was ready for a sharp reprimand, but none came.

“Why are you crying?” Loki cooed softly, as if he was talking to a little child. Julia felt his fingers brush through her hair and whimpered, pressing her face into the wet tunic on his chest.  
“Because you are alive!” She sobbed out, frantically gulping for air. There was a short pause, then Loki chuckled.  
“This is a sad fact indeed.” He agreed ceremoniously, and the girl gave a high-pitched, hysterical laugh.

Loki felt exhausted and uneasy, but at the same time strangely joyful. There was no good reason for him to be happy, because the girl’s emotional outbreak was loud and insolent, and it looked too much like a claim for him that she dared to make in front of two dozens S.H.I.E.L.D. agents observing them from the edge of the crater. He should have felt disturbed and annoyed, and he should have pushed her away, but instead Loki pressed the girl tighter to his chest with his healthy hand.

He had never openly asked himself, what the maid could be feeling for him, but this question had always been present at the back of his mind. Today it became clear that the Midgardian cared for him more than for the people they had agreed to protect. She was ready to give it all up just for the sake of him staying alive. She begged him to stop, but he chose to ignore her.

Loki pressed his lips to Julia's temple. If it was the time and the way to define their relationship, then so be it. He wanted this woman to be his, and if this would mean that he was hers, it was a natural and logical way for things to go.

“If you are determined to flood this meadow, sweet bird, let us get on the high ground first,” Loki suggested, forcing another choked laugh out of the girl. She tilted her head back to look at his face.  
“Did you decide to die in a tragic manner to make me suffer from remorse for the rest of my days?”  
“That was the plan.” Loki agreed, feeling his lips curve into the most stupid, sappy smile.  
“Not a great plan.” Julia replied and pressed her lips to Loki's neck, right where she felt his heartbeat. “Stubborn, irresponsible idiot with a love of overly dramatic gestures...”

With Julia's help Loki stood straight. They slowly moved forward, and it took them ages to get out of the deep crater onto the meadow.

“Do not move.”

The moment the agents had disappeared from sight Loki felt that something was wrong. He had told the maid that Phil Coulson did not trust them - and it was a shame that he was right, this time Loki would really prefer things to be the other way round.

Julia gasped when she saw two dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aiming guns at them. The armed men stood in a semicircle around her and Loki, all ready to shoot. Phil Coulson did not trust them - and it was just one more time when Loki was right, and the only thing left for Julia was to hope and pray, that it wouldn’t be the last one.

A good agent cares about his own agenda, and it was very inconsiderate of her to expect something else. In Coulson’s agenda there was no place for gratitude or friendship, especially when the one who comes to help is a wanted criminal and a woman from a parallel Universe carrying dangerous knowledge about S.H.I.E.L.D..

“We mean no harm to both of you, I will only need you to answer a couple of questions. Loki, stand down. It will be better for all of us if you give up peacefully.”

The Asgardian proudly lifted his chin. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stared at him in fear and wonder. He gazed coldly and carelessly above their heads, meeting the eyes of Director Coulson for a short moment.

“Stand down!” Phil repeated almost beggingly. Loki decisively pushed Julia behind his back and took a deep breath, reaching for a small piece of cold in the centre of his chest. He felt the familiar frost burning the fingertips, and when he opened his eyes again, the iris was bright red.

Phil Coulson was not the only man with his own agenda. Loki had one as well.

To live.

\----------

The air behind the agents’ backs rippled. A bright strand of light hit the ground, burning the grass and soil. A strong blow of wind swept over the meadow and sleepy dark grove.

Thor glanced at the men gathered at the field and walked forward. The God of Thunder angrily pursed his lips when he noticed Loki and Julia at the edge of a deep crater. The agents were hastily stepping away as the Asgardian approached.

A good agent knows how to assess his chances properly. Phil Coulson knew that reinforcements might come in handy.

“Brother!” Thor growled and stopped a couple of steps away from the brunette.  
“Brother,” Loki spat out with disdain, and the blue on his fingers shone brighter.

Julia stared at the Thunder God in terror. Apparently, there will be no happy ending, because life is cruel and brutal, and there is no place for miracles in it. This world - and all its infinite reflections - belongs to the brave, the bold, and the lucky ones. Too bad that Loki was a God of Mischief, not luck. Thor gripped his hammer firmly, and the girl closed her eyes, ready for the end to come.

“You have exactly two minutes before the Avengers come.” Thor said, and it took Julia some time to process his words. The girl opened her eyes, and saw the same dark sea of green grass around them, and the big pale moon shining over the world of small people and small Gods.

Loki tensed up even more. Julia could feel the muscles roll under his skin even through the thick material of the cloak.

“Why would you let me go? Aren't you one of them now?” Loki asked with a snarl. “Haven’t you got _orders_ , brother?”

Julia’s heart missed a beat as she felt Loki wobble slightly. Thor noticed it as well, because a preoccupied frown crossed his forehead.

“From what I know you have arrived to this Realm against your will, brother.” Thor reminded him, and suddenly winked at Julia. “One minute left.”

He lowered his hand clutching the hammer, and after a short moment of hesitation Loki copied his gesture, and the blue glimmer on his fingers faded. The dark-haired man glanced at Julia over the shoulder.

“We need to leave now,” he breathed out. Julia studied the agents in front of them. Phil Coulson looked her in the eyes and shrugged his shoulders uneasily. Julia nodded at him, and the man returned the gesture.

Things obviously did not go as he had planned, but a good agent knows when to let go.

Loki turned to Julia and covered the two of them with a soundproof dome.

“Heimdall will open the passage to Asgard, but I will need to recuperate in order to take you to your Realm.” He said. “It might take till morning.”  
“Actually, my siren can survive up to four days on one can of tuna, which would mean that I still have at least two days left.“ Julia replied. “In case you would need some more time to recover...”

That must have been an answer the man hoped for, because the familiar golden glimmer lit up the dark green of his eyes.

“You haven't seen the city yet.” Loki mused. “I could show you around. And you could stay with me for the night. In my chambers, if you don't mind. If… if you want to.”

Julia has learned to catch out the slightest changes in his expression, and she could clearly see anxiety behind feigned calm. The girl realized that Loki’s personal space requirements might be different from hers, considering the conservative and traditional culture of Asgard. The proposition to share a room might not seem like a big deal, but it felt like another boarder Loki has suggested to cross, and the girl was more than willing to do it.

“It will be my pleasure.” She replied with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not believe in Phil Coulson being everyone's friend. He is a secret agent, which means that his duty and agenda are above all. He is certainly not the bad guy, but I think that in the end he would be willing to apprehend both Loki and Julia because they happen to be in possession of too much knowledge about his organization.
> 
> * As for the "new Director" I have mentioned - it has been announced that in the new season of "Agents" Phil Coulson will not be acting as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. :( but the agency will come out of the shadows.


	25. What The Future Holds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Asgard :)  
> This chapter contains some wild smut, because Loki and Julia have been through a lot and deserve something nice... but not too nice :D You know me well, there always must be some drama waiting around the corner ;)
> 
> There will be many references to Norse lore in the following chapters. Please note that the story is an AU, therefore some interpretations of the myths and legends might seem rather unconventional - but nevertheless, I hope you stay with me till the end!  
> Enjoy!

Upon arriving to Asgard in the middle of the night Julia had to use all her persuasion skills and a little bit of shouting to make Loki urgently visit the medic. The girl had no idea if the royal healers had office hours, but honestly, she cared little. At first the Asgardian attempted to engage in a loud discussion, but he was too exhausted to put up a good fight and obediently staggered towards the door after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to interrupt her agitated and passionate monologue. After he left, the girl sat down and waited for the man to come back, until her eyelids closed by themselves.

It was hard to tell how long the Asgardian had been away. Julia woke up to the sound of quiet steps. She looked up and in the darkness saw Loki's silhouette. With a quiet half-moan, half-curse he heavily sat on the edge of the bed and then collapsed on his back and stretched the arms to his sides. The man fell asleep like this, with his feet on the floor and dirty burnt clothes still on. Both Loki and Julia were so drained than neither of them had enough strength to speak, let alone move closer to the other.

In the morning Julia woke up curled up and fully dressed on the edge of a wide bed, with her charms bracelet imprinted for good into her cheek. She yawned and stretched her back, hoping to relax the sore muscles after the whole night in the uncomfortable sleeping position. Julia looked around. Loki's private chambers were enormous and could fit her whole house easily. To get to the bedroom one had to walk through a spacious round parlour. The chambers were clean and neat and could seem absolutely uninhabited if it hadn't been for books on every surface. Some of the thick volumes bound in dark leather were open somewhere in the middle, other ones had bookmarks, which gave Julia an impression that Loki was reading them all at once. Loki himself was nowhere to be seen, and Julia hesitated, wondering if she should go looking for him around the palace and risk to get lost in the labyrinth of passages and halls, or wait. Then the girl noticed a passage leading to another room. Julia carefully pushed a heavy tall door leaf and peeked inside what she could define as office.

Golden sunlight was falling from the window on tall bookshelves reaching almost to the ceiling. Thick volumes, scraps of paper, old scrolls were piling on the desk beside her silvery coffee machine which Loki had somehow gotten up and running without using traditional electric power. The Asgardian himself sat by the open window in a low soft armchair, with legs stretched out and feet resting on a low ottoman. His clothes were fresh and hair neatly brushed back. The copper decorative elements of his attire were glimmering in the bright sunbeams and throwing pale reflexes on the walls. Loki put away a book and got up to greet Julia.

The girl shyly waved at him and came closer. She felt small in the enormous quarters.

“Are those my books on your desk?” She asked with surprise, noticing several bright colorful covers breaking out from the overall conservative design of the interior.  
“Possibly,” Loki replied elusively.  
“I knew that I couldn't have lent the whole "Song of Ice and Fire”! And all my project management books, and Tolkien...” Julia crossed her arms on the chest, looking at the man with scorn. “Were you ever planning to return them?”  
“Only the boring ones.” Loki smirked and pulled the girl into an embrace. “Now, give me a proper greeting, sweet bird.”

Julia huffed at the man and tilted her head back, slightly leaning onto his arms supporting her waist from behind. She narrowed her eyes, trying to keep a strict expression, but a playful smile on Loki's lips was too distracting. The Asgardian slid his lips along the girl's jawline and down the neck. She sucked in the air when Loki caught her earlobe in his teeth. Julia lightly tugged on Loki's hair, urging the man to raise his head, and when he obeyed, she was the one to initiate a kiss. The girl firmly pressed her open lips to his, running her tongue over the man’s bottom lip and gently tracing the sharp lines of his face with her fingers. Her actions earned a sigh of content from Loki, and the embrace of his hands tightened. With a quiet growl he deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers. The man's hands moved from Julia's waist up her sides, and the girl moaned when she felt him squeeze her breast through the fabric of the sweater.

“Let's go to the bedroom,” Julia purred into Loki’s lips. She unfastened the belt on his waist, and her hand slid into his pants.

The Asgardian drew a shaky breath and suddenly pulled back. Julia leaned towards him with her eyes closed, seeking his lips with hers.

“I need to leave now.” Loki said with effort, his voice apologetic and hoarse. The girl frowned and opened her eyes.  
“Not so fast... You don’t think that I came here just for a sleepover, do you? I demand sex!” Julia giggled, feeling her knees slightly wobble. She firmly gripped the delicate wool of Loki's long tunic, both pulling him closer and trying to stand straight. “Besides, it's Saturday, where on Earth would you need to go?!”

Loki was amused and surprised at the same time. Women had never dared to demand anything from him - even jokingly; he had always been the one to take what the maids were offering him willingly. However, Julia’s peremptory and bold request did not make him feel vexed - on the contrary, it only aroused him more.

“I am afraid that Allfathers are not entitled to weekends. Unfortunately, the important matters of state require my presence and I have to leave you alone. But when I return...” Loki caught Julia's hand in his. He placed a faint featherlike kiss on her fingertips and then pressed the girl's open palm to his crotch, against his hardened pulsating manhood. Julia blushed slightly when he pushed into her hand. “When I return, I promise to make it up to you, and I will fuck you till you can move no more, and you will be begging me for a moment of peace. What do you say?”

A quiet knock interrupted them. Loki glanced at the door, and in an instant his posture changed. A smile was gone, his back was straight, and eyes sharp. When he walked to the door to allow the servants in, he was the King again.

The servants carefully listened to Loki's strict voice while he gave them orders, sometimes glancing at Julia - and the girl wondered what kind of rumors and gossips were filling the palace halls since her last visit in Asgard when she had accompanied Loki to the celebration.

“The palace maidens will attend to all your needs while I am away. I ordered them to prepare a bath for you, and bring you fresh attires and something to eat. I hope it is fine.” He waited for an affirmative nod. A smirk lifted the corners of the man's lips - a faint shadow of the broad smile Julia had witnessed a couple of minutes ago. “You are free to do whatever pleases you, but I suggest you stay here in the room and wait for me to return. You might get lost in the palace alone. Besides, you’d better rest now, while you still can.” He winked at her.

The covert threat was pretty serious and Julia decided to follow Loki’s advice. She handed all her dirty clothes to the maidens through a slit of a half-open bathroom door and sank into a hot relaxing bath. The girl fought the temptation to pour and sprinkle into the water the contents of all vessels and boxes she found in the bathroom stand - the bright powders and elixirs could turn out to be bath foams and oils as well as rat poison. When she was back in the bedroom with a soft towel wrapped around her body, there was a tray with food on the table, and several folded dresses on the bed.

There was enough food to nourish three grown-up men for at least a week, and a tall silvery jug with mead. Julia spent some time trying out the dresses and primping in front of the tall mirror, then she ate breakfast and climbed onto the bed with a goblet of mead and one of her books which she had regained so unexpectedly. The drink was sweet and delicious, and deceptively harmless at first sight, and soon the girl finished almost the whole jug. She fell asleep for the rest of the day, besotted with the alcohol and relaxed by the warm sun shining from outside.

\----------

For Loki the day lasted too long. At some point the Asgardian caught himself being exasperated and irky for no good reason - because surely, a woman waiting for him in the chambers was not an excuse good enough to neglect his duties as King. It was not the right way to rule the kingdom, and Loki did his best to concentrate, pushing away the thoughts of what he could be doing if he had stayed with the maid in his chambers.

The day went on, but the most important news waited for him ahead. The ambassador who had traveled to the southern regions of Alfheim returned carrying a very promising message. The ruler of the Southern Kingdom, whose two oldest daughters have reached the age of marriage, was willing to invite the Acting Allfather for a several days long visit which would be the first step to further discussion of a union which might take place after Loki is crowned. Without a doubt, the diplomatic mission was a success.

Loki was free to go only when the shadows grew long. He found Julia in his study. The girl sat in the armchair with her legs curled up and was lazily turning the pages of one of the books Loki had taken from her. There was an empty cup on the table by her side.

“Good evening!” Julia smiled at him. “I am sorry to inform you that you are out of coffee.”

Loki glanced at the coffee maker’s control panel with a red light indicating lack of beans in the grinder. 

“God, it feels just like a holiday. I haven't had a real one in such a long time…” The girl stretched her back with a happy smile and squinted. “I did nothing all day. I ate, slept, and drank your coffee. It was amazing…”

Loki could not hold a smile as he watched her. The Midgardian walked through the chaos of the awakening magic in her Realm with the stamina and bravery every man would admire, and he came to think that if she had been born to Asgard she would probably wish to choose a warrior’s path like Lady Sif. Too bad a creature so physically weak would never be fit to carry a sword - and if she had ever tried he would have made sure to get the stupid idea out of her head for good. The only proper place for a maid of Julia’s size and posture that Loki could think of was somewhere safe, behind tall walls, where she would not fear the ancient beasts creeping out of the darkest shadows, and where she would be relaxed and content, and maybe would greet him with a bright smile more often.

The thought came unexpectedly and startled Loki. With his life divided into _before_ and _after_ falling into the dark void, the desire to care for someone else had been left behind - or so he thought. The urge to make another living being feel happy and protected was new, overwhelmingly strong - and therefore alarming, and Loki decided to move with small steps and start with something familiar to him. In his life _before_ he had courted women with expensive gifts many times, but it had always been rather a standard social gesture than a sincere intention to bring joy to the maid. Loki bit his lip, recalling that some time ago he had taken a bracelet away from Julia in order to bring to life her lookalike and fool the servant of death. It seemed that the time had come to reimburse for the piece of jewellery which had been lost - but it had to be exquisite and unique. It had to fit her well.

The girl got up from the armchair and tiptoed towards him, uncomfortable and cold with her bare feet on the floor.

“You can keep the Game of Thrones, but I am taking The Hobbit back. I was thinking, maybe you have any primer for little children? I mean, in your language. You learned to speak English, which means that you must have used some kind of a textbook…”  
“Why would you want to learn our language?” Loki asked in wonder. Julia met his gaze with the same surprise.  
“Why wouldn't I?” She shrugged. “The language barrier bothers me, I couldn't even say “thank you” to the girls today. My native language is Polish, I know English well enough to speak with you - why not learn one more?! Who knows what might happen when we join the rest of the Nine Realms, maybe I will open my own translation agency.”

Her musing about the future reminded Loki of his upcoming visit to Alfheim, and the thought suddenly made him wince with annoyance.

“Is something wrong?” Julia glanced at him with concern. “By the way, how did the day go?”

Loki hesitated. For a short moment he considered telling Julia about the arrangements concerning his future marriage, but then the thought itself appeared ridiculous. There was no reason for him to share anything with the maid. His marriage would become a necessity only if Odin dies, and if this is how the events go - still, no one knows when it might happen. It could be tomorrow and it could be three thousand years later, which meant that Loki's plans were so remote and uncertain that they could hardly be called plans.

“Everything is fine.” He replied sharper than he wanted. The girl raised her brows, and Loki went on in order to tone down the harsh response. “In the morning I had a meeting with the Council of the Elders, then I discussed a new trade agreement with the Dwarf blacksmiths of Nidavellir. Later, I spoke with the head of diplomatic mission which had just returned after forty days in Alfheim, the man presented to me the report. It was a long day. Allow me not to bore you with the details. Besides, if I remember correctly, you wanted to see the city. We can go now.”  
“I am afraid that I cannot go anywhere.” Julia replied timidly.  
“Why is that?!” Loki’s brows furrowed in surprise, and he alertly studied the girl's face. “Are you unwell?”  
“No, I am absolutely fine, it is just…” Julia bit her lip. “Your servants gave me a dress.”

Loki nodded, encouraging a further explanation.

“I mean, a dress and nothing more.” The girl went on nervously. “I can't walk around your magical kingdom wearing just a dress and a pair of Converse!”

Loki puffed with amusement, and a wide mischievous grin slowly lifted the corners of his lips.

“I do not see a problem here.” He drawled and stepped closer to Julia.

The man leaned forward to kiss her, and suddenly there was nothing else left - no troubles, no arranged marriage waiting for him in the distant future, no death breathing on his neck, and he savoured the taste of Julia's lips, giving in to the intoxicating sensations.

Their slow kisses soon became more passionate and vigorous, and Loki lightly pushed Julia towards his desk. He swept his hand over the tabletop, throwing off the books and scrolls. When his palm slid up Julia's thigh, crumpling and pulling up the long skirt, the girl laughed and moaned at the same time, and the vibrations of her voice filled his study with an echo so brisk and vivid that Loki lost control. With a growl he sharply ripped the round collar of the dark brown dress, tearing the attire to pieces. The girl squealed in disbelief.

“You… you ruined my dress!” Julia gasped and attempted to pull back, but Loki’s hands on her waist held her in place. The Asgardian chuckled and brushed his palms along the girl's shoulders and breast, pushing down the soft loose pieces of brown silk.  
“What a loss,” he drawled, watching Julia’s nipples harden with cold when his fingers touched her skin. “If it will make you feel better, you chose to wear the ugliest one of all.”

With an angry frown Julia opened her mouth to respond, but Loki unexpectedly turned her around and pushed the girl down, making her bend over the desk. She yanked when the Asgardian pinned her wrists to the tabletop, but resistance was vain. Loki leaned forward, covering her body with his, and Julia shivered and writhed when the cold metal elements of his attire touched the skin of her back. The man let out a primeval satisfied growl, like a predator which had cornered the prey, and covered the skin on Julia's neck in a series of playful bites. The girl hissed and bucked her thighs in an attempt to push Loki off, but the effect of her move was completely opposite. With a short laugh he thrust his hips forward, pressing his erection against her naked body from behind.

“I told you that I shall fuck you till you faint, and I intend to keep my word,” Loki purred into Julia's ear. “I hope you do not mind.”

She did not. With a muffled laugh Julia arched her back, rubbing her rear against his crotch - this time intentionally, making her own move in a thrilling and erotic game that Loki had started. The Asgardian grunted, and his grip on her wrists became tighter. The girl tilted her head to a side, and with the corner of her eye she saw a grimace of unresolved desire on Loki's face. With surprise Julia realized that she had nothing against being trapped and overpowered like this - on the contrary, the urge to obey the man overwhelmed her, a strange animal-like instinct she did not want to fight. The arousal made her skin overly sensitive, and every time Loki slightly shifted on top of her the girl could barely hold a moan. When he let go of her wrists to unlace the pants and the pressure of his torso over her back was gone, Julia slightly rose above the tabletop, but in an instant she was punished for disobedience with a forceful spank. Loki's fingers locked on her shoulder, and he pushed her down again. 

“Be still.” He snapped. Julia whimpered, biting her lip.  
“Or what?” She hissed, shuddering with the burning sensation on the skin in place where Loki's palm had slapped her thigh. Another slap followed, not as strong as the first one, and the girl gasped and arched her back.  
“Or I will make you,” Loki breathed out. He pressed his manhood to her opening, rubbing the tip of his cock against the slick folds. “I can’t help but think that you desire to be spanked. Is this the reason why you are so wet, sweet bird?”

Julia bit her lips in an unsuccessful attempt to stifle a whine. She was so aroused that her head was slightly spinning, and the only thing she could feel was the throbbing heat in her core. If Loki had lingered for one more moment, she would cry and beg him to take her and put an end to this torment, but the man was on the edge himself and did not hesitate any more. 

The Asgardian sank into her with one forceful move, at once setting an energetic pace. Loki’s hands moved from her shoulders down to the waist, firmly holding Julia in place, the grip so tight that red marks appeared on her skin. He was hammering into her with sharp long thrusts, his every move faster that the previous. The slaps of his bare skin over hers were mixing with Julia’s moans, wild and loud, and the erotic amalgam of sounds was as intoxicating as the hot smell of her arousal filling his nostrils, and Loki started to lose himself. He fisted Julia's hair, forcing the girl to arch her back. His other hand covered her breast, greedily grabbing and squeezing the soft flesh. His touch was not at all gentle, but the girl did not ask him to stop - instead, she responded with a low encouraging growl, covering his palm on her breast with hers. Julia clutched the edge of the wide desk with her other hand and tilted her head to a side, reaching for his lips. Loki eagerly pressed his mouth to hers, tangling his tongue with Julia’s.

“You are mine!” He whispered into her hot half-open lips, and it was the only thought filling his mind.  
“Yes, Loki!” Julia whimpered, accepting his claim. The muscles of her womanhood convulsively squeezed and clenched around his cock. Loki felt the release approaching, and he could not hold himself anymore. The Asgardian moaned, pushing into the girl with fast violent strokes and losing the rhythm, and soon he emptied himself into her wet heat. The girl’s shoulders shook, and Loki carefully supported her, closing a tight embrace around her body. Julia moaned into his lips again, her voice muffled by his kisses, and Loki could swear that the sound of his name on her lips had never sounded more arousing.

Julia was breathing heavily in post-orgasmic bliss, her eyes half open and dimmed, and Loki forgot about the time, cradling the exhausted girl in his arms. He gently nuzzled her neck with his lips.

“Are you alive?” He breathed out. Julia moved, regaining her senses, and turned her head to look at him. The corners of her lips moved up, and the girl slowly nodded. “Did I make you lose your voice, sweet bird?”

Julia giggled and nodded again, this time more energetically. Loki carefully let her go and stepped away, adjusting his clothes. Julia turned around to face him and brushed the hair off her forehead, and the man froze, unable to look away from the soft lines of her body and the pink blush on the collarbones and cheeks. He was fully dressed while the girl was completely naked, and the contrast between the heavy dark leather of his attire and her soft creamy skin was hypnotizing. Julia noticed his gawking and cocked a brow.

“Did I make you lose your voice?” She parroted his question, and a smile on her lips was so bright and warm that Loki could hardly believe that it was meant for him. He did not even try to hold a wide grin. “I am starving, and I am in desperate need of a shower and a new dress.”

They spent the rest of the evening in the chambers. Loki was happy to accompany Julia to the shower, but he was dead against her getting dressed, and by the time she walked out of the bathroom the dinner was waiting on the table, but all her attires were gone. Not that she minded. Exhausted and full, with her hair damp and heavy, Julia curled up on the soft couch by the fire and was slowly falling asleep in Loki’s embrace. It was his kiss on the forehead that woke her up. It was time to go to bed.

“You might feel cold,” the Asgardian warned the girl. “When I am asleep I do not fully control myself, and my body temperature might fall a little.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed and pointed at a thick blanket. There hadn’t been a single quilt or coverlet in the room the night before, which would mean that Loki normally did not use them.

“Thanks,” Julia smiled with gratitude, laying down on her back. “Good night?”

Loki nodded and dimmed the lights with the wave of his hand before crawling under the blanket by her side. When the time came to settle down for the night, the awkwardness returned very unexpectedly despite the evening they had spent completely naked by each other’s side. Loki was clearly uncomfortable with someone else’s presence in his bed, Julia could tell it from the space he intentionally left between them. The girl closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep despite the tension she was feeling.

She was beginning to drowse when a loud groan made her jump up. Loki shifted on his back and violently pushed down the blanket off the both of them.

“Too hot,” he muttered, causing Julia to giggle. The girl sleepily crawled closer and rested her head in the hollow of the man’s shoulder, forgetting her initial intention to leave him be. 

Loki tensed up. With an irritated huff he glanced down at the girl’s head on his shoulder. The presence of someone else in his chambers at night when he was tired and unprotected was frustrating and unnerving, nevertheless he allowed the girl to hug him. After all, he was the one to suggest her to stay in his private quarters.

“I can move away if you want,” Julia suddenly whispered into his shoulder. “The bed is big enough.”

Loki pursed his lips. He did not think that his distress was so obvious. 

“Just go to sleep,” he ordered and wrapped one arm around Julia's shoulders, firmly pressing her to his side.

The girl was stroking his chest and stomach, and her palm was moving slower as she was falling asleep. Soon Loki relaxed, listening to her even breath.

When the sleeping girl pulled the thick heavy duvet up to her neck, covering the both of them, the vexation returned. Whenever he had hosted women in his chambers, none of them ever dared to cause him the least inconvenience. For a short moment Loki fought an urge to make the insolent Midgardian leave his bed and send her to sleep on the couch by the fire, then he considered fleeing himself, but then he sighed and closed his eyes, giving in.

\----------

On the second day of her stay in Asgard Julia woke up to the bright morning light aiming straight in her eyes. She squinted in the sunbeams and attempted to sit up, but couldn't. A low dissatisfied growl sent vibrations up her back, and the iron clutch around her body tightened, making it almost impossible to breathe, let alone to move. 

With effort Julia shifted a little, feeling Loki's body firmly pressed to hers from behind. He was squeezing the girl in a possessive and intimate embrace, his hands on her waist and one leg thrown over Julia’s thigh. The Asgardian was sleeping, breathing evenly and slowly into her neck. Next thing Julia realized was that she was freezing. The blanket which had been a cause to discord the night before was on the floor by the bed, and the cold radiating from the sleeping man was spreading in steady waves. 

Very carefully and slowly Julia worked her way out of the steel trap of Loki’s embrace, doing her best not to wake him up. She wrapped herself in the blanket and tiptoed towards the bathroom, and then out of the bedroom.

When the girl silently shut the bedroom door behind her back and looked around the parlour, a pile of her clean and dry clothes was already waiting on the low table by the window. Julia quickly got dressed and collected her belongings, humming under her nose and pushing the keys and credit cards into the pockets of her freshly-washed jeans. A sound of quiet steps made her turn around. 

Loki emerged from the bedroom dressed in nothing but loose pants. He deliberately drummed his fingers on the doorframe in order not to startle the girl and came closer. Julia greeted him with a broad smile and stood on tiptoes to kiss the man. Loki shortly pressed his lips to hers, and his hands slid down the girl’s back. 

With a concerned frown he pulled out several folded pieces of paper sticking out of the back pocket of Julia’s jeans. Loki quickly looked through a crumpled printout of the Poetic Edda containing the prophecy of the upcoming Ragnarok.

“Why would you carry around these scribbles?” He asked, trying to decipher Julia’s handwritten remarks and notes covering the crumpled pages.

Julia giggled.

“Maybe I hope for a movie-style revelation.” She caught Loki's surprised gaze and clarified. “Sometimes in movies there would be a dramatic sequence with some music when the main character just stares at random objects and notes, and then all of a sudden he knows what to do, and all his problems are magically solved.”  
“Is it working?” Loki cocked his head to a side with a lenient smile.  
“No, but there is always hope.” She gave Loki a suspicious look. “Are you sure you do not have any children?”  
“Why does this matter trouble you so much?” Loki asked her with a sigh.  
“Because according to the prophesy, you had three terrible children with a woman named Angrboda: the wolf Fenrir, the serpent Jörmungandr, and the female Hel who reigns over the land of the dead. The Poetic Edda clearly says that you and your children are the key to the events of Ragnarok.” Julia explained hastily. “I know that we have discussed this but maybe you should reconsider? I mean, you know how babies are made…”  
“Do I?” The Asgardian sneered at her. Julia rolled her eyes.  
“What I want to say is that I'd rather trust a girl who says she has no children, than a guy. You… you know how it goes.”  
“I have no idea.” Loki drawled slowly, his tone a little too serious to be honest. “Please, do enlighten me.”

The girl growled, starting to blush.

“Oh, come on! Imagine a situation: you go to a club, you see a chick you like, you are both drunk and horny, you have sex in a dirty toilet stall and both don't remember a thing in the morning, but boom! - the lucky girl is pregnant.” Julia noticed the merry glee in Loki’s eyes and angrily pursed her lips. “Are you making me feel uncomfortable on purpose? Don't tell me there is no concept of one night stand in Asgard!”  
“There is, you just look hilarious when you are flustered.“ Loki confessed with a short laugh. “My only hope is that a soiled latrine is not a compulsory attribute for a drunk intercourse in Midgard. I mean, your race cannot be _that_ primitive and path…”  
“Don't say this word!” The girl hissed angrily.  
“Pathetic!” Loki sang out and flopped onto the armchair, a victorious smirk on his lips. He narrowed his eyes, studying Julia with attention. “Is something wrong?”

The girl awkwardly shifted on her feet under his intent gaze, unwilling to elaborate on such sensitive topic as fertility - and jumped up when Loki unexpectedly burst into laughter. 

“Oh, Norns, you do not think that I am incapable of conceiving a child, do you?” He breathed out, wiping off tears which welled up in the corners of his eyes. “Let me explain. Volstagg has twenty three children. Or maybe more, it is hard to tell - he remembers only the names of the twenty three... And he is not much older than I am.”

Julia stared at him without understanding, causing the man to roll his eyes.

“A spell,” Loki clarified uneasily. “I applied it myself to make sure I do not produce illegitimate offspring which shall fight over the throne. The curse can be reversed at any moment, but it is unfailing. This is why you can trust me when I say that I have no children.”

The girl nodded.

“As for my alleged concubine, Angrboda is a name so strange and rare that I would have remembered it. I can swear that I have never met a female whose name would mean “The Herald of Sorrow”...” Loki went on musingly, steepling his fingers. “And Hel… Hel is a creature so ancient that my life is probably like a glimpse of an eye to her. The Goddess of Death had been here before the Nine Realms were created, and she will be the one left after all life in the Universe turns to ashes. She cannot be my daughter, and your Midgardian prophesy is nothing but a pile of lies.” 

Julia stood in silence for a longer moment. Loki’s reasoning was difficult to argue with, and it was hard to tell what brought her more relief - the understanding that a dreadful prophecy of the end might not be true, or the fact that Loki had never been engaged in a serious relationship. 

“Is there anything else about me that you wish to know?” The Asgardian was unnaturally strained when he spoke again.  
“Well, there is one more ambiguous moment in your biography,” Julia giggled.  
“I am listening.” Loki replied with a sigh, and the girl took a deep breath.  
“An old tale says that you turned into a female horse, then you had sex with a male horse, and gave birth to another horse with eight legs, which grew to become Odin’s steed Sleipnir.” Julia gibbered, clenching the notes in her hands. “Don't assume that I am judging you, but I just fail to understand how such decisions are made. Was it like “Oh what a nice day to be alive! I’m gonna make sweet love to that horse on the green fields of Asgard”?”

Loki slowly rose from the armchair with an abashed look on his face. Then he stretched out his right hand and shortly ordered:

“Let me see this.”

Julia handed him the printout and waited while he scanned through the page. When the Asgardian finally looked at her, eyes flashing with anger and lips pursed into a thin line, Julia pulled a small breath and thought that an old Norse legend would be a very strange cause to die for.

“Fucking jester.”  
“Sorry, I…”  
“I will tear his fucking hands off so he would never hold a harp again!” Loki spat out. 

Julia took a tiny step back. It seemed that Loki was not planning to tear _her_ hands off, which was extremely reassuring. 

“Who exactly do you speak of?”  
“Bragi. The halfwit skald who thought that he can make fun of me.” Loki hissed and crumpled the piece of paper in his fist. “I swear I will make him pay for this.”  
“You mean… the horse-story is not true?” Julia asked cautiously. Her question caused Loki to grunt with indignation.  
“Of course it is not!” He snapped. “I am not a deviant who enjoys fucking horses!”

Julia awkwardly swallowed. Loki narrowed his eyes, watching her with suspicion.

“Do you believe me when I say that it is a lie?” He growled in a menacing tone. “Answer!”  
“Of course I do!” Julia squeaked, cursing her own stupidity and nonchalance. Loki bit his lip and took a deep breath to calm himself down.  
“Of course you don’t,” Loki huffed. “Sleipnir is a beautiful horse, clever and fast as the wind itself, but he has only four legs and he was born to an ordinary mare. In the years of my adolescence a young foal was gifted to Odin, and I used to spend a lot of time in the stables at that time, because I grew fond of the animal. Bragi must have no fear for his own life if he thought that he can mock and ridicule me in Midgardian taverns and sell such dirty lies to your people…”

Julia could not hold a laugh as she watched red spots of angry blush color Loki’s cheeks. Under the man’s irritated glare she hastily covered her mouth with an open palm, but it was hard to hide her shaking shoulders. At first Loki stared at her with an openly murderous look on his face, but then a crooked grin slightly lifted the corners of his mouth.

“It is hilarious, indeed,” he rolled his eyes and headed back to the bedroom. “Please give me a moment to get dressed, sweet bird. Before I take you to the city, we shall visit the stables, and you shall get to know Sleipnir and see for yourself that my words are true. And then, I will have to find Bragi the skald. We have much to discuss...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some important points:
> 
> Poetic Edda :) https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Poetic_Edda/V%C3%B6lusp%C3%A1
> 
> The legends say that Volstagg had many children (I don't know how many exactly, but twenty three will be enough :D). 
> 
> The name of Angrboda indeed stands for "the one who brings grief", or "the bringer of sorrows" - depending on the tranlation.
> 
> Bragi is a legendary skald from the Norse tales. The horse-story is a real thing, but - sorry not sorry! - I can't see Loki as a happy father (mother...) of Sleipnir :D


	26. A Series Of Unfortunate Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _If you have a bad feeling about something, you'd better trust it._   
>  _A trip to India inspired by Indiana Jones :) we are back on track with monster hunting!_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. I am deeply sorry for delaying the new chapter for so long (God, it's been two weeks! I am an awful person...) But I did some research on Ragnarok myths, I re-wrote this piece several times till it seemed perfect, and I hope that you will have a nice time reading it!

There are days when everything is fine, and days when it is not. 

Julia was almost late for work. The morning was troublesome and busy, with meetings and presentations and almost no time for coffee. By lunchtime she found out that the ten year old car she had found for a decent price had just been sold. Also, Julia caught the most terrible cold during her sleepover at Loki's chambers. Losing control over his magic did not cause the Asgardian to return to his natural ice giant form completely, but made sleeping cuddles a risky business.

By 5 P.M. tasks with short deadlines piled up all of a sudden, and Julia almost burst to tears, tired, sick and discouraged by the need to stay late at the office - especially on the day of her compulsory meeting with Loki. Lack of a proper communication channel between them made it impossible to warn him about the change of plans, and the girl could foresee a storm of anger from the Asgardian who would be waiting for her in vain. It felt like someone had decided to open the Pandora’s box with all the evils of the world and generously shake it over her head. And suchwise, Julia sat in her empty office after hours, with a running nose and a terrible headache, so concentrated on her report that a touch on the shoulder made the girl jump.

“Do you live here now?” Loki asked, slightly rocking the back of her office chair.  
“Temporarily. My annual performance review is coming, I’d better have something to show them,” Julia tilted her head back to look at the man behind her. “And if I make it through Ragnarok, it is always nicer to walk into the new era with a job than without one. With our latest additional activities I almost missed the deadline for the monthly report. I mean, I will miss the deadline if I don’t finish it by midnight.”

Loki nodded and pulled another chair closer. He straddled it and for some time watched Julia conjure up a long presentation with colorful diagrams and bar charts. Something was wrong with the girl. She looked pale, her voice was strangely hoarse and low, and it was no usual tiredness which was causing her to be downcast and gloomy, but something else.

“You are unwell,” he guessed when Julia sneezed and reached for a tissue.  
“Indeed, I am… This is quite an expected outcome of two nights spent in a freezer, you know.” Julia snorted, not looking away from the computer screen. “I remember you saying that your body temperature falls only a little.”  
“You are just too fragile and weak,” Loki shrugged uneasily. He noticed an annoyed look on Julia's face and huffed. “Not you personally, all of the Midgardians… I wonder how your race hasn't died out yet.”  
“We have healthcare.” Julia sniffled. She pressed a paper tissue to her nose and groaned when she noticed a fast pitiful glance Loki gave her. “Everyone gets sick sometimes, you know.”  
“Not me,” the Asgardian countered with a smirk. “None of your diseases and plagues can do me harm.”  
“Well, I’m happy for you,” Julia rolled her eyes and rubbed her face. “God, just one more report and I can finally go home. I feel like my head is going to explode...”

Loki fell silent. He moved away from the girl a little, sulky and uneasy. Julia concentrated on her work, with the corner of her eye noticing the Asgardian stand up and move around the empty open space, turn the printer on and off, and then disappear from sight. The girl yawned, meditating over the half-complete email, and lost track of time. Unexpectedly, a tall paper cup landed on her desk. 

“They sell coffee downstairs.” Loki handed to the girl a rustling paper bag. Julia could smell cinnamon even with her nose blocked.  
“Yes, in Starbucks.” She looked at Loki with eyes wide open. “It is a muggle… I mean, _human_ coffee shop.”  
“I am aware of that,” Loki nodded, and Julia felt a smile lift the corners of her lips. “What?”  
“Nothing, it's just... you hate humans.”  
“Hate is a word way too powerful,” Loki grimaced. “I merely find the Midgardians shallow and underdeveloped. I mean, a vast majority of the Midgardians.”

Julia smirked. Loki visiting Starbucks was as surreal as Lord Voldemort peacefully shopping at Whole Foods for granola bars. It was hard to believe how much the Asgardian had changed since the day they met. Loki took a sip from his own see-through plastic cup, causing the girl to gasp in shock.

“No way! Is it pumpkin spice with whipped cream?”

Loki cocked a brow, slightly disturbed and annoyed by her reaction.

“What surprises you so much?” He sighed.

“Forget it.” Julia was fighting an urge to laugh out loud. An alien King sipping a sweet takeaway latte was a hilarious and unexpected occurrence one does not witness every day.  
“Eat the pastry while it is warm.” Loki commanded with an impassive look on his face. “I must admit that the coffee inn was rather lovely, and if it hadn't been for a nosy scullion boy who kept trying to learn my name I would even say that the service was tolerable…”

Julia giggled and wondered, if Loki had paid for the coffee and cinnamon roll in alien currency in his best tradition, or if he had paid at all, and if the amiable young lad selling coffee was still alive. She would honestly prefer a steak seasoned with cough medicine over a sweet bun, but it was the gesture that mattered.

“Thank you,” the girl smiled, delving into the paper bag. “Tell me, do you fancy traveling to India for a couple of days?”  
“No, but do I have a choice?” Loki perched on her desk and reached for the printed newspaper articles. “I am listening.”  
“We will be going to Himachal Pradesh, it is a state in Indian Himalayas. A group of hikers disappeared there three days ago.”

Loki grimaced and looked up from the pile of printouts he had taken to study from Julia’s desk.

“The mountains are wild. All your news reports say that people often go missing in that region. They get lost, robbed and kidnapped for ransom. What makes you think this time is different?”  
“The mountains are a dangerous place, but it had never been more than three or four people per month. This time nine people have gone missing, a whole group of tourists from Iceland. It is hard to kidnap so many people all at once, if there is a gang of criminals or guerrillas it would have to be so big that the police would have located it by now. The Indian Government has organized a massive scale search party with helicopters, but they found nothing. Besides, the tourists disappeared under strange circumstances. One of the girls kept streaming the hike through the jungle on-line till the very last moment. The group dove into some kind of a cave, and then there was only a dark screen, no screams or sign of attack…”

Loki bit the inside of his cheek, thinking over the news. Nine people from Iceland. The number nine had always been considered magical in Asgard, and the suspicion that it was not a simple coincidence grew within him. He did not want to give in to the nervous tremor, but just couldn't help but feel worried. 

“Fine. I am ready to go whenever you are.”

\----------

Loki arrived to collect her on Saturday morning. 

The Asgardian stood in front of the tall hallway mirror and studied his reflection. His tunic began to change color from dark green to pale blue and his pants - from black to camel. He brushed his hand down his chest, and as a final touch a line of buttons appeared on the shirt. 

“Do I look like an unsuspecting tourist?” Loki gracefully turned to the girl with a smirk on his lips. Julia smiled, watching white tennis shoes on his feet lace themselves up.  
“Close enough.” The girl rendered her verdict and handed him over a pair of Rayban sunglasses.

This time Julia kept in mind the time zones. They arrived to India around 3 P.M. The mountain resort town named Manali was a home to about ten thousand inhabitants. Located in the northern part of the vast Kullu Valley and surrounded by picturesque green hills and tall mountain peaks, the settlement was full of backpackers and hikers who were enjoying the joyful bustle before heading further into the mountains. The town presented an impressive and eclectic mix of small neat cottages, ornate pagodas dispersed between green trees, posh hotels and shabby colonial buildings. If Julia had come to India in good health, she would probably love the place, but at the moment the girl wanted nothing more than to be back home. The bright sunbeams were burning her tired eyes and making the headache even worse, and the humid hot air was so thick that she was suffocating. Julia hesitated in the middle of the street, opening a fresh package of tissues, and almost got run off by a three-wheel cab. Loki sharply pulled her onto the narrow sidewalk.

“I dislike this place,” he declared, glaring at the crowded market square and nearby bus stop. “It is too chaotic. And loud. And colorful.”  
“Then let’s get it over with fast,” Julia urged him, slightly comforted by the fact that Loki shared her lack of enthusiasm. “Do your thing.”  
“My... thing?”  
“Oh, come on!” She muttered with irritation. “Grab one of the locals, brainwash him, interrogate him, if he knows nothing about the missing tourists - try again and repeat until success.”

Loki adjusted the sunglasses on his nose and looked at her with concern. 

“Are you suggesting me to question every single person in this town? There are thousands of them around, it would take eons. Besides, the magic of this place worries me… do you remember what the Japanese mountain looked like?”

The girl nodded. She remembered the bright white halo over mount Fuji that Loki had shown her when they had traveled to the small Oriental island.

“This time the magic is of the same power, but different. I am not sure if I will find the right words to describe it, but it is… alien. Hostile. Chaotic. And very strong.” For a moment Julia witnessed a grimace of preoccupation on Loki's face, but it was gone in a glimpse of an eye. “The creature we are after might be very ancient and powerful. I would rather not risk casting a spell now, so that whatever lives in this valley would not sense my presence.”  
“No-magic challenge, for you? You won’t last a day,” Julia giggled and broke down in a coughing fit. Loki studied her with concern.  
“How are you feeling? You look terrible.”  
“I’m all right.” The girl wheezed out with effort and turned around to study her reflection in the dusty car window. “Come on, you can’t tell a woman that she looks terrible, it is rude!”  
“Maybe it is a graceless thing to say, but you do look like you were about to die, and our agreement obliges me to keep you alive.” Loki smirked, watching Julia pull out a small mirror and hastily apply powder on her nose and cheeks. “Thence, I suggest we do the following: we will stay for the night in the same hostelry as the missing Midgardians. We eat, rest, and take a look around. If I were to question anyone in this town, I would start with the servants in the inn.”

Julia could have argued, but her throat was so sore that she decided not to risk talking, and simply nodded with a long face. They trod forward, and the girl noticed Loki turn his head around with unfeigned interest. Even if the small Indian town was too loud and chaotic for his taste, the Asgardian was clearly curious to see more of it, and Julia intentionally took a longer road to the hotel in order to walk aside the colorful pagoda of a Buddhist Temple and down the main street. As the daylight faded and the skies turned greyish, the bright street lamps lit up the promenade. People settled in small cafeterias for a cup of tea, enjoying the evening chill, and the steady hum of voices was mixing with energetic rhythms of music. The disappearance of nine tourists surely was a gruesome event, but the little town lived on. 

They soon made a turn into one of the side streets and walked towards a brightly-lit elegant building of the hotel - one of the best in town. Julia sighed as she walked up the stairs and into the door which Loki held open for her. Unlike the group of Icelandic tourists, a Polish corporate employee couldn’t afford such level of accommodation - it was either the high life, or a housing loan. However, the King of Asgard could. While Loki registered their stay under some fake names, Julia made a note for later to buy him some more coffee, since she had finished up the package Loki had received from her together with the coffee machine.

They went upstairs only for a short moment to leave Julia’s bag in the room. The restaurant was in the hotel basement, in a vast dark hall lit only by small lamps on the walls and candles on every table. Judging from polished wooden furniture, quiet live piano music, gracious movements of the waiters and an impressive wine list, the place was classy and expensive.

They settled at the table in the corner and asked for a bottle of red wine for a start. Loki studied the menu with interest, from time to time asking Julia to look up on the Internet some unfamiliar names of Oriental spices, which she gladly did. They almost finished up the bottle before he finally made a choice, and ordered the second one to liven up the wait. The relaxed conversation drifted from one subject to another, and Julia completely lost track of time, and caught herself grinning at the Asgardian for no good reason.

“What?” Loki returned a smile and slightly rocked back on his chair.  
“The evening is nice,” the girl explained, contemplating him over a glass of red wine. “Almost feels like a date.”  
“What does the Midgardian concept of a date include?” Loki gave her an interested look.  
“Basically, a couple having good time together, and a fellow paying for the dinner and stuff, hoping to get something nice at the end,” Julia recited.  
“Well, in this case we can consider it a date.” Loki smirked. “But please specify what the fellow can be hoping for.”

Her definition of a date included a word _couple_ , but Loki didn't seem to mind that.

“After taking a girl to a restaurant like this? Sky is the limit,” Julia winked at him and lightly brushed her leg over his ankle under the table. She looked down at her green T-shirt and jeans shorts. “But I'm sorry to inform you that it is not a date... I am not dressed for one.”

Loki huffed and quickly looked around the hall, checking if anyone is watching them. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated, and Julia’s apparel began to change. The green T-shirt shrank, baring her shoulders and collarbones. Loki did not change the color, only the material, turning soft cotton into rich shining satin. The girl’s jeans shorts grew a little longer and turned into an elegant black pencil skirt. Julia gasped in surprise.

“But… you said you didn't want to attract attention with magic!” She smoothed out a tight-fitting top.  
“One little spell won't do a wrong,” Loki winked at her and leaned forward, his voice dropping to conspirative whisper. “Are we on a date now?”  
“We are,” Julia nodded in a ceremonious way, and clinked her glass of wine against his.

The dinner arrived in numerous silvery bowls. For some time they ate in silence, trying out fried dumplings and dipping pieces of round flatbread into spicy colorful chutneys and yogurt dips.

“How do you like Indian cuisine?” Julia was watching Loki with interest. From the delighted look on his face she could guess, that gastronomic tourism was his thing, and the girl wondered, if the Asgardian would be equally thrilled with a pizza. She could bet he hadn’t tried one yet.  
“Peculiar, but delicious.” Loki replied and stuck a spoonful of chicken in thick dark sauce into his mouth.

Julia reached across the table and dipped her spoon into Loki's bowl. She licked the very tip of it and coughed, reaching for her glass.

“Oh God, you are so gonna regret this tomorrow!” She took a big sip to calm the burning sensation in her mouth. “Do you think that death by food poisoning is honorable enough to open you a passage to Valhalla?”

Loki laughed and pushed his full glass towards Julia, seeing the girl hastily finish her wine.

“It would take much more than spices to kill me. I told you already, your race is too weak. Midgardian food can do me no harm.” He reached out for the menu and opened the page with pastry. “Speaking of food, I must confess that these desserts look quite appealing…”  
“I’ll pass,” Julia giggled. “Tell me honestly, how can you eat this much and not get fat?”  
“Magic, I suppose.” Loki smirked at her. “But mostly a lot of exhausting military practice. Chocolate ice cream sounds nice… By the way, have you noticed that our designated scullion is very nervous?” 

Julia turned her head a little and for some time observed the young waiter who had been watching over their table for the whole evening. The dark-haired man in his twenties seemed agitated and edgy. His movements were frantic and sharp, and from the way he kept looking over his shoulder the girl could tell that he was scared out of his mind.

“Do you think that he has been questioned about the missing tourists?”  
“I think that all the servants in this hostelry have been questioned, and yet he is the only one who seems to be tense.” Loki frowned. “As if he knew more than the others.”  
“Maybe he is just having a bad day, a girlfriend left him or his rent is due. There might be a thousand reasons...” Julia sighed as she watched the man hastily drop the dirty plates behind the bar counter. She had to admit that Loki could be right - the way the young man behaved indicated that the reason for his distress was not a rough breakup or lack of money. “If he knows something, he won't tell you anyway. You will either have to use magic and give yourself away, or threaten him.”  
“We’ll see about that.” Loki smirked and got up. “Please excuse me for a moment.”

Julia watched him walk towards the bar. Loki gestured at the young man, urging him to come closer. The Asgardian rested his elbows on the counter and leaned forward. At first the waiter pulled back with the expression of terror on his face, and Julia noticed him turn pale even in the scarcely lit hall - but Loki kept talking, and in a couple of minutes the young man relaxed. The girl saw his lips move soundlessly. From the distance Julia could not guess what the two men were discussing, and she concentrated on the body language and the way the waiter’s expression was changing. 

The quiet discussion lasted for fifteen minutes, at least. Finally, Loki nodded to the other man and took a glass of gin from him, leaving something on the tall counter. The Asgardian turned to Julia with a triumphant smirk. He came towards the table and cleared his throat.

“Three days ago your tourists went to see an old deserted temple carved inside one of the nearby mountains. The young scullion was the one to tell them about its existence, moreover, his brother took the group through the jungle to see it. When they arrived at the spot, the tourists walked into the sanctuary, but the guide stayed outside, as they had agreed. When all nine men and women disappeared inside, the ground shook, and the entrance sealed by itself. The guide froze in terror upon witnessing this, but waited by the cave, and soon the stone doors of the temple opened again. Not a single man returned from the dark passage, and he fled back to his village. None of the brothers - neither the waiter nor the guide - confessed the truth to the police.”  
“Creepy... I can't believe you learned all this without magic!” Julia gave him a suspicious look.  
“Wealth works on the weak ones more effectively than mind control. Golden coins made this servant extraordinary agreeable and helpful.” The Asgardian replied with a charming smile. He sat cross-legged and took a sip of gin, clearly enjoying himself.  
“Show-off,” Julia rolled her eyes, smiling back at him. “All right, what is the plan now?”  
“We shall explore the cultural heritage of this country.” Loki said. “Tomorrow early morning we take the same route as the missing tourists and go see the mysterious temple by ourselves. For a very unreasonable price the waiter’s brother shall lead us to the sanctuary in the mountains. The rest I shall figure out on the spot.”  
“He probably thinks that you are a rich bored playboy with a death wish,” Julia bit her lip when she met the shocked gaze of the waiter behind the bar counter. “I have seen enough Indiana Jones movies to know where this is going…”

What Loki suggested was nothing else but a reconnaissance-in-force, and the two of them being a bait for the evil ancient monster hiding in the temple in the pristine Indian jungle, and Julia sincerely hated the idea. From the other hand, she did not have a better one.

Loki frowned when he noticed a troubled line cross Julia’s forehead. He leaned forward and covered her hand with his - the gesture as unexpected for him, as it was for the girl.

“Relax, sweet bird. You can keep telling yourself otherwise, but I am a God, after all. What could possibly go wrong?”

\----------

After dinner they walked upstairs. As it had been agreed some time ago, Loki was the one to secure the accommodation for both of them, which he did. This time they were staying in the same room, too showy and bright for Loki's taste, but the best the inn had to offer. Instead of one bed there were two separate ones with an ornate colonial nightstand between them. The Midgardian was already sick because of him, and he did not want to be a cause for any additional maladies.

Loki stripped off the outerwear and boots and stayed in loose pants and a tunic for the night. He turned off the ceiling lights and lay on his back, listening to the steady lulling sound of the hairdryer behind the shut bathroom door. It took him only two nights to get used to Julia's presence both in his chambers and in his bed - a surprisingly short amount of time. When she departed to her Realm and he went to sleep alone, it felt wrong. There was no one to make annoying attempts to cover the two of them with a blanket he would throw off again and again, there was no scent of the girl’s hair on the pillow and no sound of her even breath filling the silence of the night, and Loki had trouble falling asleep. It was strange - to crave someone else’s presence by his side, but his life has recently turned into an uncontrollable swirl of new experiences, and he had no will nor strength to fight, and there was hardly a thing which could surprise him by now.

The Asgardian jerked when something lightly pushed his shoulder. He sat up and with surprise saw Julia by his bed. She was dressed in a thick loose sweater, so long it was almost reaching her knees.

“Move!” The girl urged him and sat on the edge of his bed.  
“What are you doing?” Loki shifted on the mattress to give her some space, but not enough to lay down. “Go to your bed. You will only get more sick if you sleep with me.”  
“No, I won't.” Julia countered with a wide grin and rolled up the long sleeves. “I present to you a workaround.”  
“A what?”  
“A workaround. A method which allows to overcome the problem not by eliminating a root cause, but by finding an alternative way to omit negative impact.” Julia recited proudly, smoothing out the thick fabric of her apparel. “Say hello to my ugly Christmas sweater. It is itchy and too thick, and it is not even a sweater, but a dress... Since my parents had moved to London my mother embraced an awful fashion of giving ugly Christmas sweaters to her children. This one was the worst, and I have never worn it before, but it seems that it might finally come in handy. I am sleeping in your bed, you’ll have to deal with it.”

Loki reached out to touch the fabric of Julia’s garment. The material was indeed thick and prickly, and the sweater was a little too big for the girl. He could not guess the color in the dark, it was probably red, with a big picture on the chest. Julia gave him a slightly troubled look, unable to guess what was on his mind.

“Is it a reindeer?” Loki finally asked her, feeling a strange mixture of gladness and anxiety. He was startled and pleased by the wish of another person to be so close to him, and at the same time it felt surreal, like a dream, a fantasy of a weak and lonely creature. 

With a disappointed grimace Julia nodded - and let out a muffled surprised squeak when he firmly pressed her to his chest. Loki laughed quietly, feeling her heart beat close to his and her breath mix with his own when their lips met. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning closer and kissing him with feverish desire - and the world around them spinned and exploded with a firework of unfeigned emotions. Loki lowered her on the bed and deepened the kiss, feeling Julia's lips part under the pressure of his mouth and her tongue eagerly meet his. Julia moaned into his lips and lifted her thighs, allowing him to pull up the sweater and slide his palms down her sides, stroking the hot skin. 

“I am glad that you decided to balance out this overcoat with complete lack of underwear,” Loki whispered, his breath puffing against her lips. Julia smiled, and her hand traveled down the man’s abdomen and towards his crotch, but the Asgardian moved away. He lightly pushed the girl back when she tried to sit up. “No, you are supposed to stay in bed when you are sick.”

Julia laughed and obediently lay down on her back. The man crawled his way down, caressing and nibbling her belly and thighs with kisses and gentle bites. The girl sank her fingers into his hair, slightly pushing Loki’s head down in an attempt to draw him closer, and rocked her hips forward in a plea for more of his touch. She gasped when he pressed his mouth against her clit. Loki parted his lips, and his tongue slowly circled the tight bead of her flesh, causing Julia to moan and dig her heels into the mattress. She arched her back, crumpling the bedsheets in her fingers. The girl closed her eyes, concentrating on the feeling of Loki’s mouth pressed against her sex, and the heat of his tongue, fast and sharp, licking and teasing her, driving her into madness. Julia cried out when the Asgardian slid his fingers inside her and started to move them back and forth, adjusting the tempo to match the movements of his tongue. 

“Loki!” The girl panted, unable to move - so strangely heavy and weightless her body felt at the same time. The movements of his digits inside her became even faster. Julia whined and pressed her foot against Loki’s shoulder, trying to push him away when the pressure of his fingers against her sensitive spot became unbearable, and she could not take it any more. The man looked up at her and rested one arm across her hips, firmly holding the girl in place and ignoring her protest. He kept moving his fingers inside her, increasing the speed with every second and flickering his tongue over her clit and folds with a cruel inconstant pattern. Julia arched her back and twitched, her movements convulsive and sharp as she wrapped her legs around Loki's neck and shoulders, not trying to push him away anymore, but attempting to keep him right where he was. Julia cried out as she came, and Loki could not hold a low encouraging growl when he felt her body shiver.

“Loki!” Julia called, and her fingers brushed through his hair. Loki felt a light tug and sneered, planting a kiss against her opening. “Loki, I…”

The Asgardian raised his head and licked his lips with a wide smile. Julia’s breathing was sharp and raspy, and her forehead was covered in small drops of sweat. She looked down at him, and Loki was hypnotised by the way her breast was rising and falling, and by the sparkle of her eyes in the darkness. The girl wanted to say something, but only whimpered instead and beggingly reached out to him with both hands. Loki moved closer. He knelt on the bed and leaned down to kiss Julia, carefully cradling her head to support the girl. With a delighted smile she wrapped her hands around his neck, and her eyes fell shut by themselves when their lips met. 

His free hand brushed against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, and once more Loki eased his two fingers inside Julia’s wet throbbing heat, causing the exhausted girl to open her eyes wide with a muffled moan of surprise. This time it did not take long to make her climax. Julia arched her back and dug her nails into his shoulder through the fabric of the tunic, and Loki knew there would be scratches. The girl quivered, growling in a crude, animal-like manner and pressing herself closer to his body in an unconscious craving to be one with him. 

“You are gorgeous, sweet bird,” Loki purred, covering Julia's face in faint kisses and feeling her wetness trickle down his palm. The girl responded with a lazy smile, breathing heavily and unevenly. She shifted in his hands, her movements slow and clumsy, and Loki lowered Julia’s head on the pillow, feeling oddly delighted, as if it was him who had been tossing and squirming on the bed in ecstasy moments ago.

The girl fell asleep in a glimpse of an eye, but he stayed awake almost till morning, watching the Midgardian curled up by his side. Sometimes she coughed so violently her whole body shook, and then Loki would fight an urge to pull her closer, but stayed away realizing that he was the reason for her ailment. He resorted to smoothing her hair instead.

\----------

“I think I’m feeling better.” Julia muttered and opened one eye. Her gaze traveled over the bright curtains, dark colonial furniture, stripes of light falling into the room through the window blinds, and finally stopped on Loki. “Sorry, I didn't think I would fall asleep like this…”

The Asgardian grinned at her with self-content and dipped a piece of wheat flatbread into a small bowl of tamarind sweet chutney.

“Norns, in daylight your garment indeed looks ugly,” he sighed with false terror when Julia sat up on the bed. “I appreciate the sacrifice you are making for my sake, sweet bird.”

Julia bit her lip as she delved into the bag for fresh clothes. She could not help but feel butterflies in her stomach at the memory of the appreciation Loki had shown her the night before, and his tongue causing her to writhe and flutter. The girl stood straight and swept her messy hair off her face.

“You can’t say that my sweater or hairstyle is ugly, only I can, and then you must do your best to prove me wrong.” She instructed him with a laugh. “These are the rules.”  
“Never heard of such rules.” Loki smirked and slightly leaned towards the girl as she walked past him. Julia planted a quick kiss on his lips and headed into the bathroom. “Hurry up, you have about an hour. The guide will arrive in a vehicle to take us up the mountain side, but only halfway. We will have to travel on foot through the forest.”

When Julia walked out of the bathroom fully dressed, she was unnaturally tense. Loki kept catching her quick glances at the wristwatch and at him and then back at the watch, and he had no idea what was going on. The Asgardian lost his patience when she started pacing the room. He stretched his hand out when Julia walked close to his armchair - a precise, well-measured gesture - and caught her wrist. 

“What is wrong?” Loki asked her.  
“Nothing.” Julia replied hesitantly.  
“We have been through this already, sweet bird. You do not keep to yourself the thoughts and concerns related to the upcoming venture.” The warning look on the man’s face made it clear to her that the response was not good enough. “Let me ask you again. What is it that has caused you such distress?”  
“I don't know, really,” Julia confessed with a sigh. “I just… All right, I'm scared! I don't want to go there.”  
“You don't think that any being is capable of hurting you while I'm around, do you?” Loki chuckled, watching her closely.

The girl energetically shook her head. It was more complicated than that. The words had almost rolled off her lips at night - uncomfortable, truthful, powerful words. She had no idea if Loki had guessed what she had to say when there was not enough air to breathe and he pulled her into a kiss, but she prayed that he did not.

They had a contract. According to the provisions, Loki had to do all in his power to make sure magical beasts do not harm unsuspecting people. Unfortunately, there was no clause concerning him not getting hurt, and Julia was not comfortable with it anymore.

“There are only two of us, and the group of tourists which had gone missing three days ago counted nine.” The girl hugged herself uneasily. “Whatever is hiding in that temple, it might be too big for us to handle, and it scares me. This is called risk assessment.”  
“This is called being hysterical.” Loki huffed and unfolded the newspaper, demonstrating calm indifference with his posture. “Eat your breakfast, we must be leaving soon.”

In twenty minutes they walked out the hotel towards an old ramshackle Jeep. Julia kept nervously tapping her fingers over the car door armrest as the vehicle was racing dangerously fast up the serpentine mountain road. Loki sat by her side at the back seat in silence, contemplating with interest the unfamiliar scenery around them and adjusting the sunglasses on his nose.

They got out of the car after an hour-long ride, on a spacious clearing where the dirt road ended abruptly. The guide, a short scrawny Indian, parked the Jeep in the bushes and lead Loki and Julia straight into the thicket. The three of them marched through a wild and humid tropical forest among thick tree trunks covered in moss, and unfamiliar exotic flowers with strong heady aroma. When the guide swung a long sharp machete to cut tangled lianas in front of him, the resemblance to old adventure films became uncanny. Julia grabbed tightly a cold misted bottle of water, trying to dodge away from thick leafy branches.

“What? There can be snakes, or worse, spiders…” The girl explained when she caught Loki watching her.  
“Yes, wildlife. You fear it greatly, I remember,” he smirked and held a loose stem to let her pass.

The hike through the green jungle lasted, and after some time Julia relaxed and got used to the floral abundance around her. It took her some time to notice the remains of a road, with uneven pieces of shattered flagstones under her feet. Time and wild forest plants have caused the solid stone to break and sink into the soil. Whatever the road had been leading to was now deserted and long gone. Had it only been a temple, or a city full of life? What has happened, what has caused the path through the jungle to fade into obscurity?

The road made a turn, and there they were. A tall steep rock emerged from the green rushes and bush. The dark opening of a cave in front of them looked like an open hungry maw. The entrance to the hidden temple was chiselled in pale yellow stone and covered in writings in the unfamiliar language. Loki took a torchlight from the guide, and the Indian hastily took a couple steps back, and then turned around and darted down the road, heading towards the car. He had fulfilled his part of the deal and was free to leave. As the Indian dove into the thicket, Julia wondered whether his distress was well-grounded after all, and they will disappear inside the sanctuary just like the nine tourists from Iceland, and never come back. However, Loki seemed not to share her concern. 

He huffed with scorn at the sight of the fleeing man and lit the dark passage. He should have probably been worried, but the local dwellers scared of the old temple were nothing but men, shallow and weak, and the Asgardian decisively marched forward, agitated by the upcoming adventure. Julia followed. She looked back a couple of times as they crossed the threshold separating the world outside - brightly lit and vivid - from the mirk of the passage. The girl counted three dozens steps into the depth of the dark hidden temple - and suddenly, the vaulting shook. A rain of sand and small stones poured on their heads, and Loki caught Julia by forearm to hold her closer.

“Earthquake?!” The girl cried out in fear and disbelief.

She turned around, towards the entrance, but with a loud thump a massive block of stone dropped from a hole in the ceiling, barring the way back. A strong blow of wind rose the dust, and suddenly the torchlight in Loki's hands flickered and went out. The two of them were left inside a mysterious temple, submerged into darkness.

Now it was exactly like an old Indiana Jones movie.

\----------

There were no holes with spikes in the floor, nor poisonous gas, nor arrows flying out of the walls - not a single mastermind trap like there always are in the movies, only mirk around, and a distant rumble of a waterfall coming from the depth of the sanctuary. Loki voiced a long and florid curse and lightly pulled Julia’s sleeve, urging her to go deeper into the cave.

“I do not like the feeling of being trapped in a stony underground crypt.” He confessed. “Move forward. As you said, let's get it over with fast.”

Julia hurried after him, cautiously eyeing the surroundings.

“My phone doesn't work.” She whispered. Twenty five steps deeper into the cave there still was no end of the tunnel.  
“Neither does this torch,” Julia heard Loki click the switch of the torchlight several times. “Useless thing… Back in your office you had mentioned that one woman was sharing her journey with other people remotely?”  
“Yes, it is called online streaming. And the footage ends right after they walk into the cave.”  
“Well, we are in the right place, then.”

Both felt a strange urge to keep talking in order to hear and feel the presence of another living being, because there was something inside the underground passage which could drive a person into madness if he had been left alone. The tunnel was dark, but not pitch-black. A strange faint light was coming from the floor, the walls and vaulted ceiling - a peculiar and deadly phosphoric glimmer. There were also whispers. Distant and faint, the sound of a woman's voice was calling from the depth of the temple.

The passage ended, and Loki and Julia stopped on top of a wide staircase carved in stone. It was leading down into an enormous hall filled with the same pale glow coming from every surface. Two rows of tall round columns supported the ceiling, forming an aisle leading straight to a tall statue of a woman at the other side of the hall. The figure of an unknown Goddess was carved of the same black stone as the floor and the pillars holding the vaulting, but its surface was strangely matted. The figure of the ancient idol was several shades darker than the rest of the temple and seemed to be absorbing the scarce light. At the statue’s feet there was a lake with sharp stalagmites rising from the black water.

Julia and Loki quickly glanced at each other and simultaneously stepped forward. Very slowly they trod down the staircase, trying not to make a sound, but every single step and every sharp nervous breath they took echoed from the walls. Julia kept peering into the silhouette of the Goddess, but the statue was so tall that she could not discern the face in the mirk - or maybe, the statue had no face?

“Oh God, look!” Julia caught Loki’s sleeve when she saw the bodies - all nine, still and helplessly sprawled on the black stones at the statue’s feet.  
“Don't move!” A short order followed. Loki alertly scanned the dark hall. He froze in place with a spell on standby, small blue sparks falling off his fingers. “There is something hiding in the darkness. Do you hear this sound?”

What Julia had thought to be a waterfall was something else, because there was only a dark still lake in the sanctuary. The girl almost ceased to breathe, listening to the steady rumble coming from everywhere around them. Her eyes got used to the twilight, and she saw the beast a short moment later than Loki.

The serpent was obsidian black, which made it almost impossible to notice. The snake was at least forty meters long, and its body formed a vast circle around the hall of the sanctuary. The creature was absolutely still, with its tail caught between long sharp fangs. The sleeping beast was the source of the rumble filling the place, and with terror Julia realized that the low sound was receding. The girl saw Loki’s lips move as he cursed soundlessly, his eyes locked on the creature, and she ceased to breathe, praying that the monster will not wake up.

The enormous body of the horrific Ouroboros shifted a little, and its tail slid out of its maw. The creature opened its eyes and turned to look at the intruders. The serpent had no pupils - its eyes were filled with magical white fire. The snake stretched upwards, towering over Loki and Julia and slightly swaying from side to side, and glowing streaks covered its body in a geometric rune-like pattern of symbols. The creature’s bright eyes focused on the two people in front of it, and with one powerful, yet smooth move the serpent swung its enormous tail in the air.

The blow of the snake’s tail crushed several columns, and the Asgardian caught Julia’s hand and darted to a side. The monster hissed and coiled up, observing the fleeing intruders. Another stroke of its tail made the ground shake and filled the hall with sharp stone shrapnel. Loki and Julia cringed behind the remains of a pillar.

“Can you trap it? Freeze it into ice? There is water in the lake.” Julia felt her teeth chatter.  
“I can try, but it might not work. The beast is too big.” Loki sucked in the air and cautiously peeked above the stone barricade. “Stay down.”

He jumped over the damaged pillar and darted across the hall in order to lead the snake away. The monster noticed the movement and followed, swiftly and smoothly slithering between the columns after the prey. Both the man and the serpent disappeared in the darkness for a short moment, then Julia saw a glimpse of Loki’s blue shirt by the opposite wall of the temple. The man pressed his back into the polished stone of the tall pillar when the monster cut him off, and Julia almost cried out loud when she saw the snake advance with its jaws wide open. 

The monster cut through the illusion and crushed into the wall at full speed. At this moment, several long spikes of ice pierced its body, and the real Loki stepped from behind a column. The beast shrieked in rage and pain, disoriented after having hit the wall. It swung the tail low above the ground, causing the Asgardian to sprawl on the floor. Loki rolled to a side and jumped on his feet, aiming an attack spell at the creature.

The tide of magic was so powerful that even Julia could see it - a gust of blue flying through the dark hall. The attack spell cracked the floor near the snake, and the giant serpent convulsively jolted to a side. Loki laughed harshly and shortly, pursuing the fleeing monster.

The wounded serpent clearly did not expect any resistance from the victims, let alone to become the prey. Its moves became chaotic and hasty, the enraged monster did not calculate its attacks, it was tossing from side to side and snapping its teeth in blind rage, leaving dark trails on blood on the floor. Finally, the giant snake coiled up in front of the statue of the dark Goddess. The creature seemed to be badly hurt, because it did not make a single attempt to attack Loki again. The Asgardian was slowly approaching the cornered creature. 

“Didn’t I tell you that nothing can go wrong?” His triumphant voice rang around the devastated temple. He quickly glanced at Julia over the shoulder. “When will you learn not to doubt the words of a God?”

It was not the right time for a theological debate, and Julia cautiously stepped closer to Loki, glad that the adventure was over, and impatient to leave the strange temple. She watched the Asgardian raise his hand and aim a spell at the defeated beast. At this moment, a bright flash of white lit up the hall. A lightning appeared out of nowhere. It cut through the darkness and struck the still waters of the lake. The mirror-like surface broke with millions of splashes. The water bubbled, and a maelstrom appeared in the centre of the lake. It grew and gained momentum, and suddenly, the monster dove headfirst into the bubbling water. The serpent’s body moved swiftly and gracefully, like a gigantic unwinding spring. Either the lake had no bottom, or the swirl was not just water but a black hole pulling the creature inside, but the forty-meter long snake easily disappeared in it. There was nothing else left for Loki and Julia but helplessly watch the serpent escape.

As soon as the creature was gone, the water of the dark lake began to rise. The whole temple shook, and the floor opened with a loud crack. Loki and Julia climbed onto a piece of a fallen column, fleeing before the water flooding the sanctuary. Pieces of stone started to drop from the ceiling - first small ones, then bigger rocks, raising tides and splashes. One of the tall pillars wobbled and snapped at the midpoint, and the upper part of it slowly fell and crashed the neighbouring column, which cracked as well. One after another, the pillars supporting the temple vaulting were collapsing. Rumble and dust filled the place. Everything in the temple was falling apart, except for the strange statue.

“Let’s get out of here!” Loki pulled Julia into an open portal.

They escaped the bizarre underground temple right on time to avoid getting smashed under tons of rocks, and stumbled out of the portal onto the green clearing in front of the entrance into the devastated underground sanctuary. Before the blue swirl dissolved, in the rumble of stones burying the mysterious temple forever Julia could swear she heard a distant and cold woman's laughter. And when she glanced at Loki, from the look on his face she could tell that he heard it too.

Technically, the job was done. The mysterious temple was destroyed, and the dangerous ancient serpent was no more posing a threat to the dwellers of the valley. However, Julia could not get rid of a feeling that something had gone awfully, terribly wrong.


	27. Family Values

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“You are a wizard, Harry.”_ :D
> 
> A cute chapter - I do not have another word to describe it :) Loki being responsible and dealing with children and Midgardian birthday parties.
> 
> Very long, but sweet, emotional and eventful ^.^ please do leave feedback!

“Didn't you forget to knock? I could have been naked!” Julia yelled not looking away from a big carton box, and cut off a piece of duct tape. There was no response, only a short laugh, and then Loki trod into the living room.  
“Maybe next time luck shall be on my side,” he smirked and cocked his head to a side, studying the girl kneeling by the low coffee table. “Indeed, you could have been naked, but instead you chose to wrap yourself in a hideous rug…”

With a gasp of indignation Julia raised her head.

“This is a patchwork cardigan, a handmade and expensive one.” She snapped and smoothed out her long woolen garment made with big square pieces of mismatching color and knitting pattern. “Cardigan, not a rug. Got it?”  
“Got it, a handmade expensive rug,” Loki grinned. “Norns, when I look at you it feels like I am back in my Realm, in a peasant’s hut somewhere far away from the glorious capital city… You have no taste, woman.”

Julia fought an urge to throw a roll of duct tape at him. She got up from her knees and angrily slapped a big silvery bow onto a box wrapped in rustling red paper.

“You know, I will agree with you on this one,” she drawled, resting her gaze on Loki and trying to make it as meaningful as possible. “Indeed, I have absolutely no taste… _sweetheart_.”

With a laugh Loki shook his head. He approached the girl and caught the long loose belt of her cardigan to pull her closer.

“Oh, no, I am the only proof that you are not a lost cause,” he replied with a smirk. “I must confess that Midgardian fashion is beyond my comprehension. Women wear these unstable shoes on heels so high that they can barely walk, and they paint an entirely different face over their own. Besides, the way some of your men look would seem outrageously inappropriate to any sane Aesir male, because they dress and behave just like maidens…”  
“Next time you should at once become a fashion dictator and not waste your time on unsuccessful military invasions.” Julia giggled and lightly tugged a strand of Loki’s jet-black hair tied at the back of his head. She stood on tiptoes and brought her face closer to his. “You know that your hair is longer than mine, right?”

Loki grimaced and planted a quick kiss on her lips.

“It does not bother me. What is inside the box?”  
“A birthday present for my little brother. He is turning eight on Saturday.”

Loki frowned.

“Your sibling lives is another country together with your parents. Does it mean that you plan to pay them a visit?”  
“Exactly,” Julia sent him a happy smile. “I have a flight to London booked for this afternoon, and the taxi will be here in an hour.”  
“You did not inform me that you were leaving.”

Julia opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated. For a longer moment the girl stared at the Asgardian with suspicion.

“Do you _want_ me to inform you?” She finally asked him in a very cautious manner.  
“It would be nice.” Loki replied and suddenly caught Julia's wrist.

His move was so quick that Julia barely noticed it and did not have enough time to take her hand away before she heard a loud click. The girl blinked, staring in wonder at a bracelet which Loki had locked on her wrist.

The piece of jewellery was bizarre and astonishingly beautiful. The bracelet was wide, but weightless, made of narrow strips of gold intertwined together into an openwork creation. The piece was richly decorated by small glittering diamonds and emeralds so dark that the green almost looked black. Julia felt her jaw fall. She carefully touched the cold metal with her index finger, hypnotized by the beauty of the complex floral pattern trapped in gold, and the cold grimmer of precious stones.

“Wow… Loki…” She looked up at the Asgardian and it took her an effort not to stutter. “This is so beautiful! But why… W-what is…What are you doing?!”  
“I am replacing what had been lost.” He replied with a shrug. “Some time ago I had taken a bracelet from you in order to complete the spell, and the time has come to return it to you. I do not wish anyone to gossip that the King of Asgard robs helpless maids off their jewels.”

Julia swallowed. If life had been a video game, she would probably treat this as a level up, a next round of their relationship, more complex and challenging. Replacing the silvery bracelet she had given to the Asgardian in order to bring her lookalike to life was nothing but an excuse - and Loki knew that she was aware of that, Julia could tell it from a troubled frown crossing his forehead which did not go together with an offhand tone of his response. She looked at the bracelet again - a gorgeous and elegant masterpiece - and turned it around her wrist in search of a lock.

“How do I take it off?” Julia asked with concern, and Loki clenched his jaw.  
“You don't.” He rumbled in a warning tone.  
“Well, what if I have to?!”  
“You said that this bracelet is beautiful,” Loki reminded the girl, his voice suddenly cold. “I assume that you lied, there is no other reason that you would be willing to take it off.”

Julia could not help but notice a gloomy shadow sharpen his features. The Asgardian pursed his lips, and the girl took an involuntary step back.

“No, Loki, I meant what I said, I just can’t take this bracelet from you… because I can't! It must be expensive as hell! Please take it off me, and take it back. I am really grateful, but I… I’m sorry!” Julia energetically shook her head and stretched her hand forward. “Help me open the lock. Seriously, some junkie will cut my hand off in the dark alley if I wear this!”  
“Try not to go to dark alleys.” The Asgardian advised and hid his hands in the pockets, making Julia understand that the discussion was over and he was not taking the bracelet back.

The girl sighed. It was obvious that the jewel was handmade and indecently expensive, but despite that deep down she wanted to keep it. Besides, Julia realized all too well that Loki would not take “no” for an answer.

“It is the most exquisite piece that I have ever seen, and I love it - I honestly do, but I just feel bad because this thing must have cost you a fortune, and I don’t have anything to give back.” She explained uneasily. “I bought you chocolate-flavoured coffee, but it’s not a fair deal.”

Loki studied her for a moment in silence, and then rolled his eyes.

“Haven’t I told you already that you are the strangest creature I have come across?” He grunted with irritation. “I shall not reject the coffee since you have already bought it, but I do not recall demanding anything from you in return. I want you to have this bracelet, because it will suite you well. The dwarf blacksmiths of Nidavellir never forge two similar pieces, and the very moment I saw this one I knew it is made for you - and you will keep it, and if you dare to refuse I will just throw it away into the nearest ditch by the road, because no other maid is fit to wear it...”

_Because no other maid had ever wished to give anything back._

Julia stared at him in silence, and Loki suddenly felt completely unprotected. Not naked - no, it was ten times worse, it felt as if someone had peeled his skin off, and there he was, with every single thought and emotion exposed to the Midgardian woman - incredibly weak, and at the same time unbelievably powerful. Most probably she was completely unaware of the control she had over him - and Loki prayed for it to stay this way.

“I...I will keep it, if you insist.” Julia replied with a ceremonious nod and suddenly rushed forward to embrace him. Loki almost jerked away, so unexpected and impulsive was her move. “Thank you!”

The Asgardian looked down at the girl and huffed, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. Julia rubbed her cheek against the solid armor covering his chest, and he could barely hold a delighted grin. The man urged Julia to raise her head and leaned forward to cover her lips with his, tasting the bright happy smile.

“You are welcome.” He purred, gently brushing his fingers against the girl’s cheek and jawline. “Just so you know, the piece I have bestowed on you is not a just a jewel. I put a spell on it, which shall allow you to communicate with me. If I recall correctly, this is what you wanted.”  
“I did!” Julia nodded. “I was thinking of buying you a phone, but I wasn’t sure if you would have network access in Asgard... How does it work? Show me!”

Loki smiled at the sight of her agitation.

“The instruction is very simple.” He said. “You just have to close your eyes and think of me.”

The girl cocked a brow.

“Really? This sounded exactly like a line from a cheap soap opera,” she replied with a laugh. “Try again.”  
“I am serious,” Loki walked across the living room and stopped by the opposite wall. “I’ll show you. Close your eyes, sweet bird.”

Julia gave him a slightly suspicious look, but obediently squeezed her eyes shut. First there was silence and darkness, and the girl patiently waited, slightly rocking from heels to toes. Some time passed before she heard a quiet whisper inside her head. A faint touch on her cheek made Julia gasp in surprise.

 _“Concentrate.”_ This time Loki’s voice inside her head was loud enough to make out the words, but its sound was slightly muffled. _“If you focus, you might see me.”_

Julia took a deep breath. The darkness before her shut eyes slowly began to brighten up, and indeed, she saw a tall shadow several steps away from her.

 _“Now I see you.”_ She smiled. The see-through silhouette moved closer, and the blurred features became sharper, and its clothing gained colour. Loki’s phantom reached out to her, and once again Julia felt a featherlike touch caressing her cheek. The man leaned closer, and his cool lips brushed against hers.  
_“Now you see me.”_

Julia opened her eyes. Loki stood at the opposite side of the room, in the same place where he had moved in order to demonstrate to her the way the spell works. A victorious and mischievous smile was curving his lips, and suddenly Julia felt the inexplicable urge to rush forward and touch him, hug him, and make sure that he was not a pale shadow living in her imagination, but a man of flesh and blood, a man who had crossed paths with her in the most unbelievable way and since then became so important to her that she did not have the right words to describe it. It was so difficult and simple at the same time. If Julia had gotten a chance to turn the time back and alter the course of events of the dreadful Christmas evening from almost a year ago - she could swear that she would not change a thing.

Julia hastily bent forward to pick up the present from the table, and the Asgardian frowned.

“Are you planning to travel in a flying vehicle?” Loki asked her with suspicion.  
“If you mean a _plane_ , then yes,” Julia nodded and glanced at the clock. “I have a flight in exactly… two hours.”  
“No.” Loki suddenly snapped. A surprised look appeared on the girl’s face, and he went on to explain: “It is unsafe. If a plane flies, it can fall down.”  
“It is very unlikely, you know. Statistically, plane crashes are so rare that the odds of dying in an airline accident are one in eleven million, so there is nothing to worry about...”  
“Nevertheless, it will be less risky if I take you there by myself.” The man replied stubbornly. “Do not forget that I am compelled to ensure your safety, and I shall suffer in terrible pain if anything happens with you, so you’d better comply with our deal.”

Julia bit her lip. She could have reminded Loki that the provisions of their deal were binding only in situations when there was a magical creature posing danger, but she did not do it. One gets used to the good things fast, and Loki worried about her safety was obviously a good thing, so the girl made a phone call to cancel the taxi order. She had several spare hours to spend together with the Asgardian, and the time surely flew way too fast. By the time Loki transported her into a dead end close to her parents’ home in London suburbs, Julia was both exhausted and unwilling to say goodbye.

Loki courteously took her to the front door. Julia smiled at him and leaned into a kiss, trying to make it up for the three upcoming days in separation.

“Thanks for giving me a lift. Are you sure you don't want a piece of cake if there is some left?” She asked and snorted, giving the man a sly look. “You will love it! I am pretty sure it will have _icing_ on it.”  
“Norns, can I just pretend that I did not hear you say this?” Loki winced with pity, and a satisfied grin curved his lips when the girl angrily narrowed her eyes. “Your jokes are not hilarious, they are hilariously pathetic. You are so humorously crippled that sometimes I wonder if you hadn't been cursed as an infant… ”  
“Well, I think that you are socially crippled. We seem to fit each other well,” Julia countered and firmly pressed her lips against his. “Behave while I’m away, will you?”

Loki nodded and hid his hands in the pockets of the long leather overcoat, watching her walk towards the door with a big box in her hands. Julia hit the doorbell and looked back, and she wondered, what day Loki's birthday was, and what he could wish to receive as a present.

The moment the front door opened, the Asgardian was gone.

\----------

Loki put away the quill pen and buried his face in his palms, giving the tired eyes a moment of rest. He spent two days in a row in his chambers, studying the draft laws. There was no need to strain his mind and deprive himself of sleep, but it was the best chance to avoid the ambassador of Alfheim, and Loki took it. He would more likely cut his own throat open than admit his reluctance to meet the diplomat he had intentionally summoned to Asgard.

The ambassador had arrived to invite the Acting Allfather to Alfheim, and the visit to the realm of Light Elves meant marriage negotiations. Loki knew it, and Loki shut himself in his private chambers, but the ambassador was patient. The Elf had already spent almost two weeks in Asgard, and he seemed determined to spend twice this much before he could finally see the King. And suchwise, Loki was hiding in the quiet of his rooms, torn between the need to solve the important matter of state and his deep reluctance to do it, and as minutes and hours passed, the hope that the Midgardian would reach out for him was growing stronger.

When he heard Julia’s voice in his head, quiet and slightly muted as it broke through infinite Realms and dimensions, Loki almost jumped to his feet.

_“Loki?”_

The Asgardian smiled and closed his eyes, letting the girl in. The sensation of her presence inside his head came as a gentle blow of warm breeze.

 _“Are you so bored at your family reunion that you decided to check on me?”_ Loki thought, but before he finished the sentence he already felt that the reason why Julia had contacted him must have been grave. He pushed all other thoughts away and saw the maid, standing in front of him with her lips pursed and a concerned look on her face. _“Something is wrong.”_

Loki was not asking, he already knew the answer.

 _“Yes.”_ Julia's voice in his head was high-pitched and hesitant. The girl clenched her hands together in a nervous and begging gesture. _“Would you like to come over?”_  
_“Only if I get a piece of cake with icing.”_ Loki replied and reached out to touch her. He brushed his palm down Julia’s see-through shoulder. _“I will arrive as soon as I can.”_

The spell Loki had put upon the bracelet did not only allow him to communicate with the girl in case of such need, but also worked as a beacon which made it easier to locate her. He found Julia in the park, in fifteen minutes walk from her family residence. The girl sat on the bench on children's playground, dressed in yellow rubber boots and the awful ugly sweater-rug from two days ago. Loki covered himself with a veil in order to avoid being seen by the elderly Midgardians feeding pigeons on the nearby bench, and walked towards the girl.

“What are you doing here?” He asked Julia when she turned around. “I thought I would find you in the house, but it is empty and locked.”  
“Sorry, I should have warned you.” The girl pointed at a group of boys gathered near the brightly colored slide. “We are testing my present.”

Not a single person noticed Loki’s presence. Julia wondered if she looked like crazy when speaking to an empty spot by her side, but judging from complete lack of reaction from the elderly couple a few steps away, the girl suspected that the magical illusion covering the Asgardian affected her as well.

“What has caused you distress?” The man hid his hands in the pockets and squinted when the midday sun unexpectedly shone through the grey autumn clouds.  
“My brother.” Julia said quietly, staring at the playing children. Loki followed her gaze and noticed the boy with similar features and hair of the same color as the girl’s. The small Midgardian was standing in the middle of an agitated group of children with a square black box in his hands. He pressed a button, and with a loud chirr a strange object with four big spinning propellers rose from the ground. “Something is wrong with him.”  
“He seems like a normal child to me.” Loki said after watching the boy for a moment. “Tell me, what has happened.”  
“He started seeing things.” Julia replied uneasily. “Alex told me that when he goes down the street there are bright fireworks everywhere, but no one can see them except for him. And also, he said that he got himself a new little friend. This... thing comes at midnight and watches my brother sleep, and sings him songs, but sometimes it gets angry and breaks stuff. Alex said that yesterday his friend sat with us in the living room as we watched movies, but I swear, I saw nothing...”  
“Do you suspect that the child is going crazy?” Loki frowned. “Do your parents know?”  
“No idea.” Julia sighed. “Even if he had told our parents the same, they probably didn't pay attention. You know, kids make up stuff very often, they have hundreds of imaginary friends. My imaginary friend was a unicorn princess called Marigold, we drank tea together and she even had her own castle until my Mum cleaned up the house after moving in and threw all carton boxes away…”

Loki puffed with amusement and opened his mouth, but with a warning look Julia shook her head.

“My point is,” she went on nervously, “that children normally don’t make up hostile imaginary friends. Who would need an imaginary friend that wreaks havoc? It is illogical and strange. From the other hand, children with mental disorders use such fantasies as an excuse to break things and beat up other kids, it is a widely known scientific fact…”  
“Is the boy aggressive?”  
“No!” Julia cried out and buried her face in her palms. “No, that’s the point! Alex is nice. He is smart, friendly, he behaves well, he loves to read... I just have no idea what to do… Should I speak to my parents?”

Loki bit his lip. Frankly speaking, he had no idea what to do either, so he just sat down on the bench by Julia’s side and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. The girl quietly whimpered and pressed herself into his side, and the Asgardian wondered if she remembered about the contract when she summoned him. The provisions of their deal did not cover family drama, and there was no good reason for him to sit on the wet bench in a Midgardian park and comfort the girl. However, not for a single moment did Loki consider walking away.

“Loki?” a muffled whisper woke him up from his thoughts. The girl sat straight and turned to look at him, her eyes slightly swollen and the tip of her nose red. “Thank you.”

He just shrugged. Julia delved into the pocket for the phone to check the time, and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

“Alex, it’s time to go home!” She called for the boy, standing up from the bench. “I promised Mum that I will feed you dinner on time, we'd better keep going! I still need to get your cake from the bakery!”

The boy turned to Julia with a disappointed grimace, but obeyed. He stuck the remote control into the pocket of his jacket and scurried towards the drone to pick it up from the ground. As the child approached, he suddenly glanced straight at Loki, and with surprise the Asgardian noticed the look of recognition on the boy’s face.

Alex stopped by the bench and handed to Julia the toy, his eyes still locked on the Asgardian.

“Hi,” the boy said and stretched out his right hand with a cheerful smile. “I’m Alex.”

Loki frowned. There was no chance that the child would be able to see him, the spell had never let him down till today.

“Hello.” he replied and slowly got up from the bench. The child tilted his head back, studying the man with interest. “You have seen me before, haven’t you?”  
“About a month ago, when Julia came over.” Alex shrugged, greedily eyeing the long dagger on Loki’s belt. “Is it a real knife?”

The Asgardian narrowed his eyes. He looked at the boy from under the eyelashes, and in an instant the great mystery was solved. The child’s silhouette was surrounded with a halo of intense orange color. The boy did not yet have control over his powers, and the glow was unstable, the sparkling veil rippled like a lake’s surface on a windy day. The bright fireworks he had told Julia about were nothing else but magical trails he was able to see. The small Midgardian boy was neither cursed, nor crazy. When the magic wakes up, first come the primitive beasts. And then, there come the wizards.

Julia stood by their side, nervously shifting on her feet, and stared at Loki and Alex without understanding. The Asgardian looked away from the boy and tossed his head towards the children’s playground. The girl nodded and hesitantly tapped on her brother’s shoulder.

“Ten more minutes, and then we go home. Deal?”

With an excited squeal Alex grabbed the drone and darted back towards the playing children, and Loki suddenly caught himself smiling with relief. He turned to Julia.

“You have nothing to worry about, your brother is completely sane.”  
“Good to know… Why does he see you?” The girl asked him with suspicion.  
“Because magical creatures can not hide from the one who possesses magical powers.”  
“Wait, what do you mean?” Julia shook her head.  
“The boy is a wizard.”

\----------

The eight years old wizard was hopping along the sidewalk a couple of steps ahead. Julia slowly walked by Loki’s side, desperately trying to figure out what to do next. Once again life has made an overwhelming and unexpected turn and has proven itself to be stranger than fiction.

The boy turned around and stopped, waiting for them to come closer.

“Why is your skin blue?” He asked Loki and cocked his head to a side. The Asgardian helplessly looked at Julia, then at the child.  
“Because I… I am a foreigner.” He uttered slowly.  
“Cool!” The child seemed satisfied with his explanation.  
“Alex, you cannot just ask people why their skin is blue, it is rude,” Julia absently instructed the boy. Alex stuck his tongue out and hurried along the street, leaving them behind again. Loki chuckled, and the girl glanced at him with surprise. “What?”  
“Interesting… I was wrong when I had told you that there is not a single scrap of magic in you. When you visited Asgard on the day of summer celebration, it took the highest concentration of magic to let you see through my illusion, and you suffered from side effects afterwards, but your brother does it without effort. He will grow to be a strong sorcerer.”

Julia groaned with desperation.

“God, my life is a fucking nightmare… What should I do?!”

The Asgardian shrugged.

“I fail to understand why you are still worried,” he confessed. “In Asgard every family would rejoice at the news. Having a child who possesses magical powers is considered a blessing, I remember how pleased the Queen was when she learned about my abilities...”  
“Well, we are not in Asgard!” Julia freaked out and threw her hands up in the air. “We are not in Asgard, we are not in the Land of Oz or a Harry Potter movie, we are in a world full of _ordinary_ people! Magic is not normal! Alex started seeing things which others don’t, it is only a matter of time till my parents take him to the psychiatrist. Besides, he is turning eight tomorrow, and no one knows what will happen when he grows older. What if he starts to move objects will his willpower, or fly? And how will he learn to control this?”  
“I keep forgetting how different your Realm is from mine,” Loki sighed. “But I think that what should trouble you now is the little friend who keeps visiting your brother at nights. It must be some kind of a magical creature since the boy saw it and you didn’t.”

Julia nodded and delved into the pocket for the keys as they approached the house.

“Our parents will be back home tomorrow morning. Dad is planning to open a new car repair workshop in Birmingham, and it seems that he has found a trustworthy investor, they are supposed to meet today. I thought that Mum could use a break from Alex, so I volunteered to babysit him and handle the birthday party preparations so that she could go as well. If you don’t have any plans for today, maybe you would like to, you know...”  
“My, my, is the young maiden willing to invite me for a lustful revelry while the strict parents are away?” Loki purred with a sly smile and wrapped his hand around Julia’s waist. “I am all yours, sweet bird. I can even sneak into your chamber through the window, so that your little brother would not tell on you.”  
“What do you think I am, sixteen years old? You can use the front door.” Julia snorted and playfully pushed his side with her elbow, but then turned serious again. “God, I am so glad that you are not leaving yet, I wouldn’t dare to come inside the house alone. I have no idea what the creature could possibly want with my brother, so you are more than welcome to stay for the night and get rid of it once and for all.”

Loki nodded. The boy was already waiting for them at the porch, impatiently jumping in his place. He stormed into the house with a battle cry as soon as Julia unlocked the door.

“Just so you know, before nightfall the young maiden will take advantage of you in the ways you can’t even imagine.” Julia giggled and made a welcoming gesture, inviting Loki inside. “The house ain’t gonna clean itself… You might regret saying that you are all mine.”

An hour passed, and Loki did not regret having said that yet. While the girl prepared the meal for the boy, he explored the two-storey house. The dwelling was almost two times bigger than the girl’s, but the layout was very similar: there was a kitchen and a living room downstairs, and the bedrooms on the top floor. Loki stayed in the boy’s room for a longer moment, studying the magical trails. One belonged to the child - brisk orange sparks were covering almost every surface, but the other one was unfamiliar and dark. The creature which got a habit of spending the nights in the boy’s room clearly had ill intentions. The good thing was that it never approached the child - the only place in the room where Loki noticed the brown glimmer was on top of a wardrobe, opposite to the bed.

The Asgardian lingered by the boy’s desk. He ruffled a pile of colorful children’s drawings and pushed a tiny racing car with his index finger, sending it across the tabletop and straight into a big box full of toys. Loki had been to Midgardian hotel rooms, S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, and an office space, but for the first time he ended up in the room of a child. The resemblance to his own chambers as he remembered them was striking. His rooms had been several times bigger and his toys more refined, and there had always been at least a couple of maidens watching over him, but besides that, there was no fundamental difference between the chambers of a small Asgardian prince and the ones of a young Midgardian boy. Loki closed his eyes, listening to the muted sounds coming from downstairs: a melodic female voice and a child’s laughter - the same sounds that would fill the dwelling of every Asgardian man if he is lucky enough - and the realization hit him.

No matter how short or long the lifespan, the Aesir and the Midgardians arrive to this world and leave it in exactly the same way. They fall in love and start families, they mourn the dead and they raise the young, they kill in blind rage and later seek inner peace. Indeed, there was no fundamental difference between the races inhabiting the two Realms, and it took Loki only two thousand fifty three years, seven months and five days to understand it.

When he came downstairs, Julia’s little brother greeted him with a broad smile from the soft armchair in the living room. Loki indifferently walked past the child, searching for Julia. The girl sat by the kitchen table, sipping coffee and peering into the laptop screen with undivided attention. She almost jumped at the sound of his steps.

“Is everything fine? You seem… edgy.” Julia studied him with concern.  
“You too.” Loki raised a brow and stood behind her back. He glanced at the laptop screen over the girl’s shoulder. “What are you doing?”  
“I am trying to organize a party for thirteen kids with cake, pizza, balloons and funny contests. It is almost 2 P.M. and I have nothing ready yet,” Julia complained and rammed the tabletop with her forehead. “One of the girls is allergic to peanuts, another doesn’t eat gluten, I just realized that I forgot to buy napkins, balloons and juice, and I haven’t even started to decorate the basement.”  
“Why would you decorate the basement?” Loki wondered. He stole a sip of coffee from Julia’s cup, and the girl hissed with irritation.  
“Because I am not crazy enough to let an army of children ruin my parents’ house completely. The basement is spacious, clean, freshly-painted and even has windows. It will do fine.” The girl took her credit card out of the purse and copied the number into an on-line delivery form. “All right, the heavy stuff will arrive tomorrow before nine. Did you find anything interesting?“  
“Yes, the trail of the creature which haunts your brother. The being is not powerful, but very persistent. I wonder what it wants.”  
“No idea.” Julia sighed. “Alex said that it never talks to him, only hums some creepy songs all the time. I… Excuse me!”

Julia darted upstairs to fetch the ringing phone. With the girl gone, the feeling that he was being observed grew several times more intense, and Loki sharply turned around. A squeal followed, and the boy’s head sticking above the armchair cushions disappeared from sight. The Asgardian rolled his eyes and straddled a kitchen chair.

“What do you want, child?” He asked the seemingly empty living room. There was no response, and the man sighed. “Come out now. You know that I saw you.”  
“So what?” The boy huffed from the armchair, but obeyed the order. He crawled down on the floor and sheepishly came closer. “Your eyes are red.”  
“I know.” Loki replied plainly. “And my skin is blue, you already said that. Any other smart groundbreaking observations you wish to share with me?”  
“No.” Alex stuck out his bottom lip, slightly discouraged by the man’s unfriendly response. “Is your knife real?”  
“Yes.”  
“Can I hold it?”  
“No.”  
“Are you friends with Julia?”  
“This does not concern you.” Loki frowned. The boy folded his arms on the chest and narrowed his eyes, copying his sister’s posture with such precision that Loki could barely hold a laugh.  
“I was just asking,” Alex huffed with annoyance and circled the table to sit down by the opposite side. “Where do you come from?”

Loki bit his lip. He already regretted having summoned the curious boy from his hideout, and he wondered if Julia would agree to alter her brother’s memory after they catch the creature stalking the child. Most probably, she would be very unwilling to do it, which might lead to serious complications.

“I come from the North.” He replied evasively.  
“There are many countries in the North,” Alex said, leaning forward. “I study Geography at school. Which one exactly?”  
“Why would you ask?” Loki drawled and cocked a brow.  
“Why wouldn’t you answer?” The boy cheekily parroted his tone.  
“Because I dislike you.” The Asgardian explained with a wicked grin. “You are insolent and nosy.”  
“You are secretive and rude,” Alex muttered, his head low.

Loud stomping distracted Loki from his pointless wrangle with the boy. Julia cursed under her breath and flopped onto a chair in the corridor to pull on the boots. The Asgardian got on his feet and followed her into the hall.

“Where are you going?”  
“To the bakery,” the girl puffed and checked the contents of her purse. “These idiots confused the delivery date, I had to argue with the manager to have the cake ready for today. I’d better go get it fast until they fuck up something else…”  
“I shall accompany you.” Loki interrupted her and reached for his coat on the hanger.  
“Not possible, my Mum drives a two-seater Smart. It is only me and the cake, sorry.”  
“Then I will go!” Alex peeked from the kitchen door. “I will hold the cake.”  
“No, and no.” Julia pulled on a coat and hastily gathered her hair in a messy bun. “You both are staying. Watch TV, play video games, eat something. I’ll be back in three hours, tops!”  
“What?” Loki’s brows furrowed. “You can’t be serious. I won’t babysit this child.”  
“He won’t! I will call the police if you leave me here!” Alex whined, but fell silent and backed away when the girl glared at him.  
“I will feed you the cell phone if you do,” Julia snapped and grabbed her mother’s car keys from the console mirror. She reached for the doorknob when Loki caught her wrist and pulled the girl closer.  
“You are taking it way too far, Julia. My patience has its limits.” The Asgardian growled quietly into her ear. “I am the King of Asgard, not a nanny. If you leave me alone with the boy, I swear I will strangle him, and I will strangle you as well when you come back!”  
“Please don’t strangle Alex, it’s his birthday tomorrow,” Julia replied boldly and wriggled out of Loki’s grip. She pushed the door open and darted outside before the man could catch her again. “And don’t let him eat all the chocolate!”

Loki stared at the door the girl had slammed in front of his nose. He walked past the boy into the kitchen and stood by the window, watching Julia start a tiny red car. The maid was cheeky enough to send him a kiss as she drove off. The Asgardian growled and sharply turned around. Alex froze with his hand in a cupboard drawer.

“Sometimes Julia is a total dick,” the boy complained and pulled out a huge triangle-shaped chocolate bar. “I wouldn’t mind if you dump her, she deserves it.”  
“I wouldn’t mind if you go sit in your room,” Loki countered. “And give me half of that.”  
“Why would I?” Alex snapped at him and hid the chocolate bar behind his back. “This is my house.”  
“Because I am stronger, so you either do as I say, or get nothing at all.” The Asgardian shrugged.  
“But... this is unfair!” The boy gasped with umbrage.  
“Life is unfair, little one.” Loki huffed with a lenient smile and headed into the living room. “Now, let us not argue anymore. How can we kill the time, since we are condemned to each other’s company?”

\----------

When Julia parked the Smart, with a cake on the seat by her side and the trunk stuffed with party-related bibelots, her parents’ dwelling was still in one piece. The girl pushed the door open and walked into the corridor, startled by the peaceful silence filling the house. She brushed her fingers over Loki's cloak on the hanger and crept into the living room.

A huge spaceship almost crushed into Julia’s head. The girl ducked and watched the Lego architectural marvel slowly circle the room and land on the carpet between Loki and her brother.

“Cool! Can you make it shoot lasers, if I add cannons?” Alex pulled a heavy box with Lego spare parts closer and delved into it.  
“I can, but I won’t,” Loki replied strictly. “I am a guest here. It will be rude if I help you destroy your parents’ dwelling.”

The girl cleared her throat, and both the man and the boy looked up.

“Hi there,” Julia said sheepishly. “I got the cake. There is more stuff in the car.”  
“Go fetch,” Loki commanded, turning to Alex. “It is your celebration tomorrow.”

Julia felt her jaw drop, when with a short bow the boy jumped on his feet and ran out of the room.

“Did you hypnotize him?” She whispered, as she watched Alex hastily lace up the boots.  
“Not yet,” the Asgardian smirked and got up from the carpet. ”And I only considered this option twice. Look what I found.”

He opened his palm and demonstrated to Julia a tiny Lego figure of himself. The girl giggled.

“Your brother did not guess who I am,” the Asgardian said.  
“Well, he sees you in your ice giant form. Besides, Alex fell asleep at “The Avengers”, the movie was too long for him.” She explained in an apologetic manner. “He is more of a Batman boy.”

The Asgardian huffed and hid the Lego Loki into his pocket.

“Thank you for watching over him,” the girl went on. “I am very grateful for your help.”  
“I bet you are,” Loki frowned and took the heavy box with a cake from her. Julia hesitated for a moment before following him into the kitchen. “Let us discuss the concept of free will while your brother is away, shall we?”  
“What exactly do you want to discuss?” The girl asked gingerly. Loki placed the box into the fridge and folded his arms on the chest.  
“I do not take kindly to those who try to impose their will on me. You pranced away, leaving me and the boy in a house haunted by a magical creature, which means that I had no other choice but to stay here until you returned. This was the most insolent thing you have done so far.”  
“Well, I did not lock you up... You could have left at any moment, but you decided to stay and help, which I greatly appreciate. This is what the concept of free will stands for.” Julia replied quietly. She slightly hunched her back, feeling that whatever storm was coming - she pretty much deserved it. “It doesn’t mean that I am not sorry! I truly am, I just...”  
“No, you are not sorry yet,” Loki replied coldly. “But you will be, when I think of a proper punishment for your boldness.”

Julia locked her eyes with his and suddenly felt a wave of hot blush sweep over her face. Loki’s threat did not scare her at all - instead, it made her thoughts flow in an absolutely inappropriate direction. The girl hesitantly looked down, ashamed and startled by the effect he had on her. She saw Loki’s boots take a step closer, and his breath burnt her cheek as the man leaned forward.

“Tell me, what kind of spell had you cast on me, that every time I wish to give you the punishment you deserve, I end up craving to fuck you senseless?” The Asgardian whispered. “What are you doing to me, Julia?”

The girl helplessly looked up at Loki, seeing in his eyes the reflection of her own uncontrolled arousal. All of a sudden, there was too little air left in the kitchen, and it got harder to breathe. Julia nervously licked her dry lips, and the Asgardian growled quietly as he watched her tongue move.

The sound of the opening front door made them both jump and take a hasty step back. Alex marched along the hall and downstairs, carrying the bags into the basement.

“Oh my God! You… you did magic in front of him,” Julia gasped and sharply pulled Loki’s sleeve. “Why would you do this?!”  
“It was the easiest way to explain the boy that there is nothing wrong with him,” the Asgardian shrugged. “Now he knows that he is neither sick nor insane, just different from the others, and there are many advantages of his new state.”  
“What the hell were you thinking?! He is only eight years old!” The girl cried out. “You know what he will do first thing tomorrow when our parents return? He will go and tell them that he is a wizard just like Harry Potter, maybe even ask them for a pet owl. Alex will end up in a nuthouse because of you!”  
“You are being hysterical. I think that there is nothing to worry about, the boy promised to keep the secret.” Loki noticed the angry frown cross Julia’s forehead as she opened her mouth, and silenced her with a gesture. “No, let me finish first. What had happened was an accident none of us could foresee. You did not know that your brother has magical powers, and neither did I. I am unable to turn back time and make the boy unsee me in my ice giant form, and there are only two options ahead of us. I can either encourage the child by showing him what he will be able to do if he learns to control his magic, or alter his memory. Which one would you prefer?”

Julia bit her lip, pondering over the two possibilities she disliked almost queally.

“Fine, let’s see if the first option works out. The worst that can happen is that you will have to alter the memory of my whole family.” She rendered the verdict.  
“I think that you are doing the right choice.” Loki nodded. “Do not forget that in less than two months magic shall fully wake up and flood your Realm. After the day of the Convergence it will be hard to tell, what is normal and what is not.”

\----------

“It shall come at midnight.” Alex whispered. The boy’s eyes were frantically glimmering in the dark, and he kept glancing at a big digital clock on the wall in anticipation of the creature’s visit.  
“We have nine minutes.” Loki nodded and stood in the middle of the room. He took several deep breaths, concentrating.  
“What are you doing?” The child asked him.  
“Magic.” Loki replied simply and smirked when he saw the boy shift on the bed. “I intend to hide so that the creature won’t notice my presence. You probably expect me to tell you how I shall do it?”

Alex nodded energetically and leaned forward.

“All right... Every being which can do magic leaves a trail of unique pattern and color. Ordinary humans cannot see it, but creatures like the one which haunts you can. Your color is orange, mine is blue, and if the monster notices my presence it might flee. I shall disguise my magic as yours. Look closely, you might learn to do this one day.”

Loki brushed his palm over the boy’s desk covered in sparkling orange dust. He rose his hand to eye level, quiety chanting a spell under his breath, and bright blue glimmer lit up the room. A sphere grew on Loki’s open palm and slowly floated towards the ceiling, like a big soap bubble. The orb was swirling faster with every second, and the azure was mixing with bright orange until the blue color was fully absorbed. Then the sphere exploded, filling the room with the light so bright it left both Loki and the boy blinded for a moment.

When the ability to see returned to them, nothing in the room was giving away the presence of another entity with magical abilities. Loki’s azure trail was camouflaged, only from time to time single sparks were breaking through the disguise. The Asgardian turned to the boy and smirked: the child contemplated him with the same look of awe and excitement on his face as Julia when he had done magic in front of her for the first time.

“Two minutes left till midnight.” He warned the boy and pressed his index finger to his lips. Alex nodded and wrapped himself in a blanket. Loki took a step back, pressing himself to the wall by the entrance.

He did not have to wait for long. When the clock hands moved one more step, Loki heard a very quiet shuffle of approaching steps.

 _“Goblins chew and goblins bite,_  
_Goblins cut and goblins fight….”_ A husky voice recited in the corridor, and then someone pushed the door open. A gnarled figure crawled into the room.

The boy slightly shifted under the blanket and whimpered. A dark shadow circled the bed and snickered.

 _“Stab the dog and cut the horse,_  
_Goblins eat and take by force!”_ The visitor hummed and tried to approach the child’s bed, but jumped back with a hiss as if something had caused him pain. The creature repeated the unsuccessful attempt a couple of times, but then gave up. It grumbled something under its breath and climbed up the chair and the desk in order to get on top of the tall closet.

At this moment Loki stepped out of the corner and leaped forward. The man moved fast and soundlessly, like a shadow. He firmly grabbed the creature’s collar from behind and sharply pulled the monster down. The being yelped and tried to hold on to the wardrobe, but its claws only scratched the door.

“Lights.” Loki commanded, and Alex slammed the switch. The nightstand lamp shone brightly upon the room and lit up the mysterious creature which had been haunting the boy. It hissed, trying to cover tiny red eyes from the light which was obviously hurting it. The monster was gnarled and twisted, with a big bulky head covered in lumps and bumps. Its body was scrawny and deformed, and the back hunched. The creature’s long hands were almost reaching the ankles. The being was not big - more or less the size of a five year old child, but unexpectedly heavy.

“What is this thing?” Alex whispered.  
“This is a goblin.” Loki casually explained and smirked when he saw a grimace of disgust on the boy’s face. The Asgardian lifted the goblin high in the air and sighed. “Tell me, why are you stalking this child?”

The ugly creature sniggered and opened its wide frog-like maw, and its red tongue rolled out. It was so long that its tip reached the pointed boots.

“These are my hunting grounds, fellow. Small humans taste nice, and I’ve been trying to get to this one for several nights, but he wouldn’t let me closer,” the goblin confessed to Loki and snapped his teeth in the air. “I see that you have come to feed here as well? I was here first, but we are good if you help me out a little. I see that you are strong enough to walk through the boy’s magical barrier. Catch him for me! The woman downstairs seems more like your size, but if you want the child, we can split the tender flesh in half!”

Alex whined and curled up in the corner, staring at the goblin in terror.

“I do not eat humans,” Loki snapped with disgust. The goblin stared at him in shock for a longer moment, but then suddenly growled and waved his little fists in the air.  
“You did not come here to feed on humans, you want to restrain me! Why would you be helping them?” The creature hissed and bared its teeth. “Traitor! Filthy renegade!”  
“Shut up,” Loki growled at the goblin and violently shook him. “Do not speak of the matters you don’t understand.”

The creature suddenly twitched in Loki’s grip and aimed a blow at the man holding him. The Asgardian jerked back when the long claws ripped his shirt, and the goblin used his hesitation to wriggle out of the grip. The monster attacked Loki again, and this time it dug sharp fangs into his right palm. The Asgardian cursed aloud and loosened his grip, startled by the unexpectedly agile move of the creature and sudden sharp pain. The goblin heavily landed on the floor, but bounced upwards like a ball and swiftly scurried out of the room. The door slammed shut by itself behind the fleeing creature, and the heavy wardrobe wobbled and suddenly fell down on its side, blocking the way.

“Julia!” Alex gasped, jumping off the bed. The girl was downstairs alone, and unlike the two of them, she could not even see the creature if it would decide to attack her. She was completely helpless.

Loki pushed away the heavy wardrobe and kicked the door open with such force that it hit the wall and hung on one hinge. It took him no more than fifteen seconds to clear the way, but still, it was a delay which could cost the girl life.

Downstairs Julia sat on the couch and waited, hypnotizing the clock and alertly listening to the sounds coming from her brother’s bedroom. Her involvement into ambushing the creature was minimum: the girl had to stay safe and behave in the least suspicious way, so that the being would not suspect a thing when it comes into the house. She seemed to be coping with the task well.

When the clock struck midnight, there was silence for a longer moment, but then the girl heard a loud thud of a door shutting down and the sounds of muted angry voices coming from upstairs. Julia jumped on her feet and nervously looked around.

 _“Goblins race and goblins jump,_  
_Goblins slash and goblins bump.”_ Lisps and whispers filled the living room, but Julia could not see a thing, not even a shadow. The ceilings lights flickered and went out.

The girl bit her lip and darted towards the switch with the intention to turn the lights back on, which seemed like the most logical thing to do, but something rammed into her knees, and Julia tripped. She cried out in fear and surprise and helplessly looked around the room, trying to spot out the creature. Quiet wicked snickering came from above, and the chandelier wobbled. Julia clenched her teeth and jumped onto her feet, heading into the kitchen, but the invisible creature followed. It ran along the row of tall kitchen cabinets, pushing off the decorative clay pots. The girl covered her head from the crockery falling on the floor, and dove under the kitchen table.

 _“Burn the skin and mash the head,_  
_Goblins here and you be dead!”_ The invisible creature triumphantly sang from the top of the fridge, and jumped down. Julia ceased to breathe. “You be dead, pretty girl!”

Julia growled and darted towards the tall round stand in the kitchen corner where her mother usually kept pokers. The girl caught some metal rod and waved it in the air. It did not matter that she could not see the creature. Arya Stark could fight after her eyesight had been taken away from her, and Julia believed herself to be more badass than Arya Stark.

“I will show you dead,” the girl whispered and gripped the long metal rod tighter, listening to the approaching shuffle of little feet.

Loki jumped over the balustrade of the stairs to save the precious seconds. As he landed in the middle of the hall, he heard a loud thud and a yelp coming from the dark kitchen, and darted inside the open door.

“Julia?” The Asgardian froze in place when he witnessed the girl standing in the middle of the kitchen, with a long brochette in her hands and the goblin’s body sprawled at her feet. She did not seem to be hurt, and he breathed out in relief, feeling the cold iron grip of dismay loosen.

“No one’s gonna mess with my brother!” Julia hissed and stuck the metal rod into the motionless creature with such force that the tiles on the floor broke. She looked up at Loki, and the grimace of rage on her face smoothed out. The ceiling lights blinked and shone brightly upon the devastated kitchen and a big oily puddle of green blood slowly spreading across the floor.

Alex ran into the kitchen and abruptly stopped as if he had hit the wall. The boy covered his mouth with his hands in an attempt to stifle a retching sound.

“You are washing the floors, boy. Think twice before you throw up.” Loki quickly glanced at the child.  
“Mum cooks chicken on this,” Alex whispered, staring in terror at the dead goblin’s body and a long brochette sticking out of it, and darted towards the bathroom. “I’ll never each chicken again!”

Julia took a deep breath and brushed the hair away from her forehead, leaving bright green marks on her face. Loki huffed, watching her, and suddenly laughed out loud.

“Norns, did you even need my help in the first place? You just singlehandedly slaughtered a goblin with a kitchen spit,” he cried out and shook his head. “Tell me, is there anything you can’t do?”  
“Yes, I have no idea how to do contouring makeup,” the girl whispered and looked down on her shaky hands covered in goblin’s blood. “God, this thing is sticky…”  
“This… _thing_ is nothing else but the blood of a creature you just massacred. You definitely need a shower, because right now you look like a savage bathing in blood of his enemies. I think I should fear you out of solidarity with this poor goblin - the same fate could have met me in your kitchen...”  
“Zip it.” Julia snapped at him and slightly reeled. “God, it is so disgusting… I think I might throw up myself.”

Loki covered the distance separating them with an inhumanly fast move and firmly gripped the girl’s shoulders.

“Are you hurt?” He inquired her, alertly studying Julia's face.  
“I hit my head when I fell down, but I’m fine. Shit, you are bleeding!” The girl looked down on Loki’s right hand, his palm staining her sleeve with blood. “We should patch you up!”  
“Yes, a bandage might come in handy. How soon shall your parents return?” Loki asked her with concern. “The dwelling looks like a battlefield.”

They spent the rest of the night cleaning the place up. The goblin got a decent burial in a black plastic bag in a trash can behind the house, along with the pieces of clay pots. Loki’s magic came in handy when it came to fixing the broken tile on the kitchen floor and masking the deep long scratches the goblin had left on the furniture in the boy’s room. Alex was too agitated to go back to sleep and kept following the Asgardian around the house with a look of sincere admiration on his face, and Loki did not have the heart to order the child to leave him be.

When the sun came up, the house was neat and clean again, and decorated for the upcoming birthday celebration. Loki finished the cup of early morning coffee and walked into the corridor to get dressed.

“Aren’t you staying for the party?” Julia grinned at the Asgardian as she watched him pull on the cloak.  
“Do I look like I find pleasure in extreme suffering and pain?!” The man countered with a short laugh. He peeked into the living room: the child was sleeping on the armchair. “Your brother is tolerable, but when I imagine twelve more of him I want nothing else but to flee and hide somewhere. Besides, are you really willing to introduce me to your family?”

Julia giggled.

“Will you get offended if I say that I am not?”  
“No, I will applaud your common sense,” The man smirked and pressed his lips to hers in a short, yet deep and vigorous kiss. “Have fun. I shall come for you in the evening.”

\----------

“Please, care to explain, why do Lego cannons shoot lasers all of a sudden?” Julia sighed when she finally wriggled out of her parents’ farewell embrace and made it to a small dead end where Loki was waiting for her to take her home.  
“Because it would have been discourteous of me to leave without giving your brother a birthday gift.” Loki sneered at her. “Tell him to hide the toys well from the parents. Did he tell them about his abilities?”  
“No, Alex really knows how to keep a secret. Instead, he told them that I have the coolest boyfriend ever.”  
“He did?” Loki asked with false surprise, and the corners of his lips slightly twitched upwards.  
“Yes. You are his new idol now,” the girl giggled and stepped into the swirling portal. “Who would have thought that you have a way with children…”

They approached her front door, and Julia pulled the keys out of the messenger bag.

“Thank you for the ride,” She smiled at the Asgardian. “See you on Wednesday, I guess?”  
“Not so fast,” Loki frowned. “Where is my payment?”

Julia gave him a concerned look.

“Excuse me?”  
“Payment,” the Asgardian repeated and leaned over the doorframe, blocking the way in. “I do not usually carry maidens around Midgard for charity.”  
“Well, I do not give away my plane ticket money for charity,” Julia huffed. “And yet, thanks to you the sum I paid for the flight was wasted...”  
“Exactly.” Loki sighed. “This is what bothers me. In the end, I was the one to deliver you to your parents’ dwelling, moreover, I babysitted a Midgardian child, but I did not even get a piece of cake you had promised me. It is unfair.”

The girl smirked and stepped closer.

“Fine, let’s make this right.” She drawled and folded her arms on the chest. “Do you accept credit cards?”

Loki bent over and brought his face closer to hers.

“No, but I accept… alternative methods of payment.” He purred into her lips. Julia giggled and squeezed by his side in order to get to the keyhole.  
“Come in!” She winked at Loki and pushed the door open. “I might have a couple of ideas that you will find appealing.”


	28. The Winds of Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **How to get from morning pancakes to disaster in 3… 2… 1.**
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> Well, here it is. I must confess that the new chapter was ready on Friday, but it took me some time to brace myself and post it. God, I feel so sorry for them I almost cried...
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> I hope that I can be excused for stealing the name of this chapter so shamelessly, but it fits perfectly, besides - my whole fic is a small trubite to George R. R. Martin's masterpiece, and if luck is on my side, no one will ever find out and sue me.  
> Enjoy, and remember: the sun shines brighter after a rain!

_Go tell that long tongue liar_  
_Go and tell that midnight rider_  
_Tell the rambler,_  
_The gambler,_  
_The back biter_  
_Tell them that God's gonna cut them down._

_Johnny Cash, God's Gonna Cut You Down_

Waking up by Loki’s side has already become a habit, as well as getting fully dressed before going to sleep. Julia lifted a heavy hand resting on her hip and carefully pulled the hem of her sweater from under the sleeping man. The Asgardian grunted, and his palm traveled up her side. Julia shivered under the ice cold touch and before Loki could lock an embrace around her, she rolled away and quickly pushed her pillow towards the man. He bought the trick and lay still with the pillow firmly pressed to his chest. Julia grinned and wondered, if Loki would strangle her if she ever pulled the same stunt with a big stuffed teddy bear and took some pictures.

The girl crept out of the bedroom and downstairs. She set the kettle to boil and danced across the living room to open the balcony door and let the chilly autumn air into the house. The siren was sleepily cooing in her cage with her head under the wing, and dust was dancing in the shafts of light falling from the windows.

Julia poured herself a cup of bitter green tea and quickly threw into the bowl the ingredients for a pancake batter. She tapped her fingers over the kitchen counter, submerged in thoughts. Behind the window the cool wind raised yellow and orange autumn leaves off the dry pavement, and a colorful vortex rose into the transparent blue sky just like a flock of bright tropical birds. The girl smiled and stirred the mixture, humming quietly under her breath and watching a slow swirl form on the surface, and then once again, and suddenly slammed the bowl over the kitchen counter with a loud victorious howl, causing the batter to slop everywhere around.

There it was: bright leaves, colorful birds, eight-legged horses mixed up together into a mysterious amalgam of metaphors, allegories and symbols. Apparently, sometimes movie-style revelations hit people while cooking pancakes for breakfast. Julia would have thrown the whisk up in the air, if it hadn’t been for the mess she had already made.

The girl spun around and yelped when she saw Loki. The Asgardian froze in the doorway in a fighting stance, tense and ready to strike, dressed in the loose pants and tunic he had worn to bed in order not to freeze her to death during the night. His palms were glimmering with blue as the man scanned the kitchen with wary eyes.

“What has happened to you?” He barked sharply. “Are you hurt?”

“Oh…” Julia swallowed. She could feel waves of cold spreading from Loki. Hoarfrost was slowly covering the tiles under his bare feet. “No, I am fine, I just... got an idea.”

Loki did not move, but the blue glimmer on his right palm slightly receded.

“You screamed.” He said quietly, and his voice was so serious and pained that Julia suddenly felt a heavy punch of guilt - not a prick, but literally, a punch in her guts.

The Asgardian had scars on his body - not only the one left by the magical weapon which Julia extracted herself, but many more big and small ones, which she would sleepily trace with her fingers. He has probably been in battles. He has fallen into the bottomless dark void of the space. He was being stalked by the faceless cult of death worshipers willing to bring destruction upon the Nine Realms, and he was constantly traveling with her around the globe in search of violent magical monsters. Loki deserved at least a moment of peace.

“I scream for no good reason when I get emotional,” Julia’s voice cracked. “And I swear a lot. It is a bad habit. Sometimes people turn to look at me at the office, the manager would have gotten me fired already if it hadn’t been for constant overperformance.”  
“I thought you were in danger.” The man replied coldly. His breath has calmed, and he awkwardly shifted on his feet, eyeing the hot cattle and a bowl with batter on the counter. He did not fit in so badly. The little kitchen looked so peaceful that Loki suddenly felt ashamed for his tension and for startling the maid.  
“No, I’m all right, I am totally fine,” Julia felt like an idiot. “Sorry I woke you up. Are… are you going back to sleep?”  
“No. I would better get dressed.”

The blue flame of magic on his palms died out in an instant, and the Asgardian turned away with an obvious intention to leave. Julia bit her lip.

“Loki!” She called and picked up the bowl from the counter. “Stop being angry with me and get back here right now!”

The Asgardian huffed at her order and gave the girl an annoyed look over the shoulder.

“Who told you that I am angry?” He uttered uneasily, but turned around and folded his arms on the chest. “Will you fancy telling me, what kind of a marvelous idea filled you with such excitement that the whole neighbourhood must have woken up?”  
“Oh, trust me, it is an amazing one,” Julia energetically stirred the pancake batter and held out a spoon. “Is this sweet enough?”

Loki quirked a brow, but obediently leaned forward to taste it.

“More sugar,” he ordered.  
“Ever heard of diabetes?” Julia smirked and added two big spoons of brown sugar. “I’ll make some pancakes, and you are in charge of the dishes and cutlery. Oh, there is honey in the cabinet to your left, and jam in the fridge.”

She turned away from him and casually placed a frying pan on the burner. Loki bit his lip. He frankly admired the girl’s diplomatic talent - because there was no other word to describe her ability to turn the conversation to the most primitive and unimportant topic in a way so easy and natural that one would not suspect a thing. Even if he had scared her, she did not show it with a single gesture or remark, and to be honest, Loki was grateful for that. He awkwardly shifted on his feet and then moved towards the fridge. The Asgardian delved into it for the jam, then opened the cupboard door and lingered, studying the cans and packages of tea on the top shelve. He jerked when Julia touched his shoulder.

“Second shelf down, to the left,” she whispered and wrapped one arm around Loki’s abdomen, pressing herself to him from behind. “I am sorry that I alarmed you. I didn’t expect you to think that I am hurt.”

Loki sighed. He wondered if his mother had cried in terror and pain before the Dark Elf’s sword took her life. The visions and dreadful fantasies had haunted him for some time after the Queen’s death, and Loki would jerk awake in the middle of the night and convulsively grip the hilt of the knife he always held under the pillow. As the pain of the loss receded, the nightmares stopped - only to begin again about a week ago. This time, the woman screaming in fear and suffering was not his mother, but the Midgardian girl. Night after night, he would witness the maid die with a long spear piercing through her heart, her eyes big with shock and hands clenched on the shaft wet with blood. When he woke up in the bedroom alone and heard the maiden scream from downstairs, he had only one thought in his head. There were not so many living beings who Loki cared of, and there were not many occasions when he would confess to them his true feelings, and this was not one of this occasions.

“Do not do this again.” The Asgardian said plainly and shut the cupboard. He sat down by the table and watched Julia flip over the evenly-browned thin scones.

In a short while the breakfast was ready, and the girl pushed a large platter with a pile of hot pancakes towards Loki. She flopped onto the chair across the table and dipped her index finger into an open jar of honey.

“What?” She winked at the man and slowly brought her finger closer to her lips. “Eat the breakfast, and stop staring at me.”

Loki blinked and took a deep breath. With a mischievous wide smile he leaned back on the chair and watched the girl part her lips and slowly lick the golden drop of sweet honey off her finger.

“You are an evil indecent hypocrite,” the man drawled, contemplating her from under the eyelashes. “You are deliberately making me stare at you.”  
“What made you think so?” Julia’s brows flew up, and she bit the inside of her cheek to hold a smile. “Of course, I’m not.”  
“Of course, you are,” Loki’s hot breath suddenly burnt the back of her neck, and the girl jumped on her chair, but a pair of strong hands on her shoulders held her in place. With eyes wide open Julia stared at the Asgardian who sat on the chair at the opposite side of the kitchen table, while the hands of his lookalike slowly moved down her sides. “I have come to notice that you enjoy the feeling of power you have over me, sweet bird.”

Loki in front of her leaned forward, and the girl felt his palm squeeze her knee and slowly move up her thigh, urging her legs to part. Loki behind her back gently brushed her hair to a side and covered Julia’s neck in a series of kisses and licks.

“Relax,” he purred into her ear and pulled up the hem of Julia’s sweater. The girl obediently raised her hands and allowed the man to strip her off the shirt, feeling the second pair of hands stroke and rub the gentle skin of her inner thighs through the thin fabric of pajama pants. The lookalike reached for the open jar on the table. He dipped his finger into the honey and brought it closer to the girl’s mouth. Julia looked at Loki across the table: the Asgardian ceased to caress her and locked his eyes on her face.

“Suck,” he ordered shortly. The girl smirked at him and parted her lips, taking the digits of his copy into her mouth. Loki behind her back grunted when Julia gently squeezed the tip of his index finger in her teeth, and the girl felt his free hand slide down her belly and under the waistband of her pajamas.

“Loki!” both men grinned at the sound of her quiet whine. Julia spread her thighs wider and arched her back, pleading for more caresses.

Loki’s double pushed to a side the girl's underwear and slid his fingers along the wet folds of her sex. Julia gasped and tilted her head to a side to look at the man behind her back, and the lookalike covered her mouth with his in a hungry rough kiss, nibbling on the her lower lip and tangling his tongue with hers. The girl moaned into his lips and sank her fingers into the man's long raven hair.

Julia pulled back from a kiss and glanced at the Asgardian across the table: he was breathing heavily, his eyes sparkling feverishly and locked on her. The girl smiled at him, feeling her head slightly spin with desire.

“Care to join us?” She breathed out with a laugh, and Loki impatiently jumped on his feet, as if he had been waiting for her permission. Julia bit her lip and tilted her head back to look at the Asgardian towering over her. She slowly reached out and slid her hand down his abdomen and crotch, giving his manhood a light teasing squeeze through the fabric of the pants.

“Which one is you?” Julia asked him, feeling the palms of his lookalike cup her breasts.  
“I told you once, I am both,” the original Loki replied hoarsely and knelt before the girl. He sharply ripped off her pajama pants and panties and eagerly pressed his open lips to her clit, letting his tongue flicker against the sensitive skin.

Julia whimpered and arched her back. The lookalike moved closer, and with unruly fingers she fumbled with the wide belt on his waist. The girl pushed down his pants and breeches and leaned forward to close her lips around his manhood. She heard both men sharply intake a breath. Julia dipped her head, taking the man’s erect member deeper into her mouth, and felt Loki kneeling before her dig his fingers into her skin with such force that she squirmed in pain.

“Please,” Loki growled beggingly against her inner thigh and looked up at the girl. “Please, get down on all fours! I… I desire you so much, I need you!”

Julia nodded and slowly lowered herself on the floor as Loki and his lookalike were hastily ripping off excess clothing. She felt Loki brush his palm down her spine and rest his hand on the small of her back as he positioned himself behind her. His copy knelt before her and pulled the girl into a short deep kiss.

“Now, where were we?” Loki’s lookalike breathed out and combed his fingers through Julia’s hair. The girl winked at him and parted her lips, letting the man gently push her head down and accepting his erect cock into her mouth. The double moaned, arching his back as he felt the girl’s lips roll down his shaft.

Loki behind her growled and with one vigorous thrust pushed his full length inside the girl, forcing a muffled whine out of her. He firmly clutched her waist, pulling Julia towards him with every following move.

The girl moaned, dissolving in the sensation of heat rising from her core with every thrust Loki made. She was close to losing her mind from pleasure as she felt him fill her completely. She looked up at Loki’s copy in front of her - the man’s breathing was heavy and laboured, and he bit his knuckle in order to distract himself with pain. The lookalike locked his eyes with hers and attempted to move away.

“I can barely hold myself,” he confessed with a helpless look on his face, caressing Julia’s cheek. “You should stop.”  
“I don’t want you to hold yourself,” the girl whispered and locked her lips around his pulsating cock tighter. Both men moaned, and Julia felt Loki behind her ease one hand down her belly. She shuddered when his fingers brushed against her clit.  
“Be still, sweet bird.” Loki leaned forward and pressed his chest against her back. “I want you to come when I do.”

He increased the pace, rubbing his fingertips against the tight bead of her clit. Julia whined and yanked, desperately trying to writhe out of his embrace when the stimulation was too much to take, but the Asgardian firmly pinned her to his body. When the muscles of her sex clutched tightly around Loki’s manhood, the man let go all control. He roared and bit the girl’s shoulder, hammering into her with short energetic movements, and his lookalike fisted Julia’s hair, thrusting his hips forward, and emptied himself into her mouth with a savage grunt.

After the orgazm Loki grew still, delighted and drained. As his copy slowly dissolved, the Asgardian gently nuzzled Julia’s ear and tightened his embrace around her body, unwilling to let go of the girl.

“I am seriously starting to suspect that you cursed me,” he whispered, covering the hot skin of her neck in a series of kisses. Julia giggled in response. “Not that I minded.”

They slowly got up from the floor, calming their breath and holding on to each other in order to stand straight. Loki had never felt so exhausted after summoning a copy of himself before, but it was without a doubt the most pleasurable occasion so far.

“I am starving,” he confessed with a laugh and tore off a piece of cold pancake. “Norns, this thing is wet and disgustingly rubber-like…”  
“Revenge is a dish best served cold, not pancakes,” Julia snorted and unexpectedly slapped his rear. Loki jerked and stared in wonder at the girl as she trod past him with a playful smile. “Come on, it is time you learn what a pizza is.”  
“You cannot slap me,” he said strictly and picked up his clothing from the floor before following Julia into the living room.  
“Well, of course I can!” She laughed and pulled a cover off the couch to throw it over her shoulders. “Unlike the folk of your old-fashioned magical kingdom, here on Earth we have embraced the concept of equality.”  
”Which is an entirely artificial construct.” Loki countered with a smirk and pulled on the pants and the tunic. “Now, will you at last share with me the amazing revelation which has caused you to scream bloody murder?”

Julia cleared her throat.

“Well, it came to me all of a sudden.” She confessed in a conspiratory manner. “You see, I realized that Sleipnir is a horse with only four legs…”

Loki blinked.

“Seriously?” He drawled before Julia could continue. “And this is your revelation?! Now, let me guess, you probably still believe the horse to be my child? Norns, woman, what do you have against this poor creature? You have been with me to the stables and you have seen Sleipnir with your eyes, you even fed him sugar! I swear that he is just a horse, he eats hay and has four legs...”  
“I… I know!” Julia interrupted the Asgardian in an agitated manner. “This is my point! Sleipnir is _just_ a horse. Whatever kind of sick origin story the Norse legend gave him, the most important thing is the number of legs. He has four, while the old tales say that Odin’s steed has eight legs. Why?”  
“Because Midgardian bards and poets are all halfwits,” Loki rolled his eyes.  
“No,” Julia energetically shook her head. “Stop being mean, will you? Sleipnir is a very fast horse - you said that yourself - and the legend gave him eight legs instead of four. It is nothing else but a figure of speech.”  
“What is your point?” The Asgardian snapped with irritation.  
“My point is that I have been taking the stories literally all this time, both the horse-story and the Ragnarok myth, but I could have been wrong…”

Loki sat down by Julia's side and fixed an attentive gaze on the girl.

“You remember how it goes, right? The sleeping Midgardian serpent Jormungandr wakes up and breaks free, and his mighty body causes waves to crash. Two terrible wolves chase the Sun and the Moon and devour them….” Julia has read this so many times that she already knew the text by heart.  
“One of Loki’s children, the wolf Fenrir, escapes his confines and runs loose to massacre and kill. Three roosters crow one after another: one is crimson, one is golden, and the last one that cries is soot-red. Heimdall blows his horn, and the world tree Yggdrasil shudders. Asgard is under attack: the fire giants come forth, their leader Surtr carries a sword of fire ahead of his army. The eagle shrieks in the dark skies, the ship of the dead sets its sails in Helheim and glides over the black waters towards Asgard, and Loki steers it, bringing the army of the unliving to flood the Nine Realms.” The Asgardian quietly recited further. “The Gods die in battle, wounded by the swords, massacred and poisoned by the beasts. After this, people flee their homes, and the sun becomes black while the earth sinks into the sea, the stars vanish, steam rises, and flames touch the heavens.”

Silence fell upon the living room, and Julia slightly shivered.

“Well, this is the moment when my degree in Arts and Humanities finally pays off,” she said in an overly-cheerful voice in an attempt to break the unexpected strained silence. “Old legends love metaphors and symbols. Do you know what a metaphor is?” The girl gave Loki a slightly suspicious look.  
“I do not live in a cave, Julia,” he countered grumpily. “Of course I do.”  
“Wonderful! In this case my point should be clear to you. According to the legend, the Midgardian serpent Jormungandr, the wolf Fenrir and the female Hel are your children, but it does not necessarily mean that you conceived them - I mean, with your...” Loki quirked a brow, and Julia felt her cheeks turn red and hot under his intent gaze. She got up and started pacing the room, the bedspread dragging on the floor behind her back like a long mantle. “I thought of the name Angrboda and its meaning - “The Herald of Sorrows” - and then we went to India and woke up a sleeping giant snake, which _escaped_ , just like the Ragnarok prophecy says. These monsters are described as your children, because you just… make them happen. You play the main part in the myth, this is why the death worshippers took an interest in you. To start Ragnarok, you have to trigger the events mentioned in the prophecy, one by one. The sleeping serpent which breaks free, the Sun and the Moon, the roosters that cry one after another - these are the milestones. The prophecy describes a ritual which must be fulfilled in order to unleash the Apocalypse. And Angrboda is just a figure of speech to say that we all will be in deep shit when it happens.”

Julia ceased to speak in order to catch a breath, and sent Loki a wide victorious smile. The Asgardian steeped his fingers, reflecting on her words.

“It is an interesting theory.” He acknowledged. “But the legend describes the Midgardian serpent as a beast which wrapped its body around the globe, and the snake which fled the underground temple was not big enough. Even if we should not be taking literally the descriptions from the legend - even if these are symbols and metaphors - what could the Sun and the Moon devoured by the two wolves stand for?”

The girl shrug her shoulders. The theory which she had just so brilliantly put together still needed to be verified.

“Besides, even if all the events which prelude Ragnarok happen as described in legend, I fail to understand how they will push me towards causing the end of the world.” Loki raised his head, and Julia was shocked by the pained and serious look in his eyes. “I have been through some very bad things, Julia. I have fallen into the dark abyss and I lived through the torments which awaited at the bottom. I was taken prisoner by the ancient being of incredible power and cruelty, and I almost lost my mind before I finally bowed to it… I assure you that it will take much more than a sequence from a foolish old legend to make me go mad.”

Julia swallowed. She had never asked Loki of the things which happened to him after he had let go of the shattered Rainbow Bridge, and he had never mentioned this part of his biography before. The girl remembered the scars covering his body and wondered, how many of them came from the time Loki had spent in the claws of Thanos.

“Well… What if the events described in the legend carry a hidden message for you? What if it is a code? In the latest “Captain America” movie, - let me finish, please!” Julia cried out when she saw Loki frown and open his mouth. “In the latest movie there was a Second World War assassin, his friend, who would go from normal to murderous within seconds, if he heard a certain combination of random words. The Ragnarok prophecy might have the same hypnotic effect on you.”  
“Pathetic.” Loki rendered his verdict, obviously annoyed by a comparison with a “Captain America” movie character.  
“Well, it is just a theory. You have a better one?” Julia huffed angrily and wrapped the bedcloth tighter around her shoulders. Upon noticing her resentment, Loki tensed up. He caught the girl’s wrist and effortlessly pulled her closer, closing a tight embrace around her body. Julia growled and tried to push him away, but gave up as soon as Loki placed her on his lap. She sighed and went on. “If I were you, I would seriously consider the foretold events to be a hidden message. You see, I have known you for almost a year already. Sometimes you are utterly unbearable, mean and cynical, but you are not bad to the bone. You do not seem like a person who finds pleasure in destruction for the sake of watching the world burn.”  
“Is this your assessment of me?” Loki asked her uneasily. “Thanks, I guess…”  
“You did not let me finish,” Julia replied with a smirk. “Moreover, I think that you are a very smart and ambitious man. You are strong, decisive, responsible, and you are ready to work hard in order to reach your goal. I am not trying to judge you - though you have done some very nasty things and we both know it - I am just saying that a person who fought for something so badly as you did for the throne of Asgard will not be willing to fuck it up for no good reason. This is why I think that you might make a good King, Loki.”

Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The maid was absolutely right. _He would not want to fuck it all up._ The King of Asgard has duties to fulfil, and personal matters are not an excuse good enough.

“I… I have to travel to Alfheim for several days. Some important matters of state require my presence.” Loki said hoarsely, doing his best not to look at the girl. “It might take me till Wednesday, or maybe even longer. I hope you do not mind my absence.”

Julia leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his forehead. Her fingers brushed through his hair, and the man leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and pushing away the faint sensation of guilt.

“Of course I don’t. Take your time, and have a nice business trip.” Julia smiled, and Loki almost told her the truth.

It took him much effort not to.

\----------

The horses trod slowly through the green woods, each step softened by the dry dust on the road. Loki rode through the lands of Alfheim accompanied by the ambassador, who had finally been honored to take the Acting Allfather to the Realm of Light Elves for marriage negotiations.

The retinue followed the two men at a respectful distance, giving them a chance to talk in private. The main provisions of the deal had already been settled, what was left to discuss was nothing but details.

“The offer you made is indeed a generous one,” the ambassador said. Loki grimaced slightly. The piece of land in the southern part of Asgard was a high price to pay, but a usurper needs to stabilize his reign. “The King has already reviewed it, and I assure you that this journey is merely a formality, a friendly gesture and a chance to see your future Queen before the wedding day.”

Loki nodded absently. He had little interest in the latter. The diplomat fell silent for a longer moment, and Loki patiently waited for him to get to the next point - a following _detail_ they needed to discuss before they reach the King of Alfheim and his court.

“I have heard rumours that you hold close a human woman…”

Loki could barely hold a laugh. In the whole Realm of Asgard there was probably no person left who wouldn’t have heard about his affair.

“These are no rumours.” He responded plainly, with mean delight noticing the ambassador nervously clutch the reins of his horse. The Elf feared him greatly - Loki could feel it with his skin - and he wondered, what kind of rumours of _him_ and his heritage have reached Alfheim. “Though I fail to understand, why this matter arises in our discussion.”

“After Odin deceases and you are crowned Allfather, it is best to seal the marriage with childbirth as fast as possible. A mistress might be a… distraction for you.” The Elf’s wary violet eyes were focused on Loki’s profile. “Besides, the folk of Alfheim is proud, and the King shall grieve if he learns that the Queen is openly neglected since the very beginning of the marriage. It is strongly advised that you send away your human companion until the future Queen is with child.”

Loki frowned. The ambassador's concerns were understandable, and his arguments were logical, but for some reason the fact that the Elf mentioned Julia caused him more distress than it should have. Loki suddenly imagined what she would look like with her belly rounded with his child. _She would probably tread slowly and carefully, dressed in long loose gowns. She would have the same enigmatic radiant smile that he has come to notice on the lips of all women that are about to embark on motherhood. She would put away one of her Midgardian electronic devices and slowly rise from an armchair in his chambers to greet him after a long and busy day, and press her cheek to the solid armour on his chest…_

The vision was gone in a moment. It came as an unexpected flash through his mind, an unreasonable and unwanted fantasy, but it was so vivid and real that Loki almost lost his breath. He hastily pushed his heels into Sleipnir’s sides, urging the horse to move faster. The Asgardian quickly glanced over the shoulder, wondering if there was any sorcerer among the ambassador’s men, who could have overheard his thoughts. It would have been a shame.

The elven ambassador had probably thought his demand to be the reason for Loki’s distress. He cautiously followed the Asgardian, adjusting the horse's pace to ride by his side. Loki turned to the diplomat with a haughty look on his face.

“We have not sealed our deal yet, but your Lord already attempts to impose his will upon me?” He said coldly, enjoying the look of anguish in the ambassador’s eyes. “I understand his concerns, but I also wish to remind you that I was the one to initiate the marriage negotiations. As soon as I am crowned, I need to secure my bloodline with an heir. Trust me, the Queen will not be neglected.”

The road made a turn, and the procession stopped at the border of the forest. A vast green valley lay ahead. There were ornate marquees and sounds of music and laughter: the elven King was celebrating the end of harvest before moving to the palace for the winter.

Loki stepped under the heavy canopy of the biggest marquee and greeted the King and his family with a deep bow. The royalties repeated his gesture: the Elf got up from the low armchair and graciously bent forward, and the women performed a curtsy, filling the tent with quiet rustle of gowns.

The King of Alfheim had four gorgeous daughters. The oldest one was meant to become Loki's spouse, the second one had been promised to the son of Vanaheim Overlord, and the two youngest twins have not yet reached the age of marriage. The women of elven race have always been famous for their beauty, but the little twins were meant to grow to be the most charming and captivating maids the Nine Realms have ever seen. The girls had flawless features and dark violet eyes, and long soft hair reaching to their knees. Their faces were absolutely identical, the only way to tell the girls apart was by hair color. One Princess had shining golden locks, while the other had raven-black hair, and the elven bards had affectionately named the little royalties The Sun and The Moon of Alfheim.

“It is my pleasure to greet you in our Realm, Allfather.” The elven King issued a cordial smile which never reached his eyes. The Elf tossed his head towards the entrance, and his wife and three youngest daughters swiftly left the tent. Loki’s bride stood motionless and quiet behind her father’s back. “I hope the journey was not tiring.”  
“It is an honor to be invited to Alfheim, Highlord,” Loki replied with a small courteous nod. “The ride from the city towards your encampment was a pleasure.”

The servants moved another chair closer, and both Loki and the Elf sat down. The Asgardian placed his helmet on a low round table and took a goblet of wine from a young page. The King of Alfheim contemplated him with sheer interest, and Loki could not help but feel like a caged animal, trapped and observed by an inquisitive scientist. Even though their meeting was a peaceful gesture meant to bind the two Realms, the servants were armed, and a dozen of guards around the tent were not a matter of protocol, but a safety measure. Apparently, the King of Alfheim knew of his Jotunn nature. Loki clutched the goblet tighter, fighting an urge to spill the wine at the Elf.

“My ambassador has not spent his time in Asgard in vain. The news he has brought with him back home caused my whole family to rejoice. I was glad to learn of your intention to marry my daughter, and I have gotten myself acquainted with the proposition which comes along with your suit.” The Elf raised his goblet and issued another smile at Loki. “I trust that both kingdoms shall benefit from this alliance, and I assure you that my oldest daughter's heart is filled with joy, the same as mine.”

Loki huffed. The Princess stood beside her father in silence, like a beautiful statue. They did not exchange a single word, and the Asgardian absently wondered what her voice sounded like. This maid would probably make a good Queen - obedient, quiet, fertile - since her mother had given the King of Alfheim four daughters. This kind of Queen would be good for Asgard.

The fair-haired statue by the King's side raised her eyes and shuddered. The Princess was scared of him despite the armed guards surrounding the tent - Loki could guess it from the way her fingers kept tugging the hem of a long see-through sleeve, from the small uneven breaths she took. Loki knew that some Aesir men feared and despised him, and he could only guess, what kind of tales had reached the lands of Alfheim. Both the King and the Princess probably perceived him as a hideous beast, and yet, for the elven Lord the desire to forge an alliance with Asgard was stronger than fear and love for his own offspring. The Highlord of Alfheim had just traded his daughter to a wild monster for a scrap of land and a vague promise of military support in case of war.

Would Loki do the same if he had a child of his own?

“You can leave now,” the elven King turned to the Princess. The maid hunched her back at the sound of her father’s short order and walked out of the tent, doing her best to keep the distance between her and the suitor as big as possible. Loki smirked and got up from his chair.

“I have prepared the tents for you and your men. Tonight you rest, and tomorrow we feast. Will you be willing to join me for the hunt at dawn, Allfather?” The Elf stood up as well.  
“It shall be a great pleasure for me,” Loki drawled mockingly. “After all, what can be more joyful than time spent with the family, and from what I have come to notice, both you and your daughter are very eager to embrace me as part of your family. Isn’t it true, Highlord?”

Loki did not care to wait for the response and walked out of the tent, heading towards Sleipnir tied by the drinking bowl with other horses. Recently he had been spending too much time outside the palace halls filled with prominent figures and pious orations, and after each hour in Julia’s company it was getting harder and harder to get back on track. The maid was bad influence. A King must be capable of handling the diplomatic talks, however fake the smiles and dishonest the words.

\----------

In the morning he left the tent before dawn in order to join the hunting party. The group of three dozens elven royalties lead by the Highlord of Alfheim was already awaiting him; the pages were holding the slim greyhounds on long leashes, and the horses were impatiently tearing up the ground with their hoofs. The horsemen turned to Loki as he approached the group, leading Sleipnir by the reins.

“I am glad that you decided to join, Allfather.” The elven King courteously lowered his head. “We shall depart when you are ready.”

Loki smirked and jumped into the saddle. He made a short careless move with his right palm, and a spear flew out of the hands an elven huntsman. The Asgardian caught it and nodded at the ruler of Alfheim.

“Ready.” Loki said shortly, ignoring the quiet whispers of protest coming from the King’s entourage. “We can depart.”

The group of horsemen rode under the heavy leafy canopy as the first orange sunbeams touched the ground. The forest was still sleeping. The mist thick and white as milk was reaching to horses’ bellies, and the first early birds were waking up, filling the mirk with quiet songs.

The men did not talk much as they rode deeper into the forest. The hunting party moved in silence, dispersing among the trees. Servants with hounds jogged before the huntsmen, and the dogs were getting impatient. With their noses by the ground they ran forward, stretching the long leashes.

A beautiful white deer suddenly leaped from behind a tall oak tree, startled by the barking and growling of dogs and the cracking of the whitethorn as the horses waded through the thicket. A loud bellow of the horn broke the quiet of the morning. The hunt has begun.

The pages let the greyhounds loose, and the dogs effortlessly leaped over the wide forest creek, disappearing in the bushes on the other side. The horsemen followed, and the heavy hoofs broke the smooth mirror surface of the water. Loki urged his horse, feeling the adrenaline bubble in his veins and giving in to the feeling of freedom in a chase so fast it was almost a flight. The men raced through the forest, dodging when the thick branches were low, and steering the horses in between the tree trunks. The deer was fleeing deeper into the woods.

The pursuit lasted. With the corner of his eye Loki noticed the elven King race at a distance, with two greyhounds by his sides. The Asgardian bared his teeth and dug his heels into Sleipnir’s belly, leaning to the horse's neck.

The hunting party waded through the bush at full pace and abruptly stopped at a spacious forest clearing. The deer was gone, and the hounds seemed to have lost its trail: the dogs were whining and baying, darting back and forth between horses’ legs. Loki tapped Sleipnir’s neck and let the horse trot around the meadow in order to cool the animal down after an insanely fast race.

The Asgardian tilted his head back, staring at the clear blue sky. He felt that something was wrong before he could give a reasonable explanation of the faint premonition of imminent disaster. The Elves were unmounting the horses to take a breath and rest a little, some men took out flasks with water out of saddle bags - not a single living soul seemed to share his preoccupation. Sounds of quiet laughter and a hum of voices filled the air.

Sleipnir unexpectedly stopped dead still, and Loki jerked in the saddle. He shook his head and focused his eyes on the white horse blocking the way.

“You seem distressed. Do the forests scare you, Allfather?” The Highlord of Alfheim cocked his head to a side and tossed at the Asgardian a round flask with water.  
“This place is different from Asgard.” Loki shrugged, catching the object. He untwisted the cap and took a sip. “I have visited your Realm before, but it was winter, and you hid from the cold behind tall walls of a palace.”  
“Not all of us are resistant to cold,” the Elf smirked. “In summer the land of Alfheim blooms, and we strive to savour every moment of warmth and celebrate life, while we can, while the land is not yet frozen and dead in the clutches of winter - isn’t it the longing all living creatures share?”

Loki shifted in the saddle under the piercing gaze of the deep violet eyes. A strange feeling overwhelmed him, a suspicion that the Elf was not talking about the change of seasons, and the Asgardian narrowed his eyes, searching for a sign of mockery, but there was none.

“Let us not speak of the things which are as obvious and ancient as the forest and the land itself,” the Elf suggested peacefully and closed his eyes. “Listen. Listen, how quiet the woods are.”

This was it.

“Quiet,” Loki breathed out, realizing what exactly had caused him the nervous tremor.

The forest was _too_ quiet, even the birds ceased to sing. Loki tensed up, noticing the clouds run faster across the blue sky and turn darker with every passing second. Shadows grew longer, and he wondered if it was a sign of an approaching thunderstorm, or something worse.

“A heavy rain is coming, we'd better wait it out.” Some elf suggested, delving into the saddle bag for a cloak. The distant rumbles of thunder were approaching.

The first heavy drops fell on the grass. Rain grew heavy in a moment, drumming over the leaves, over dark leather saddles and Loki’s armour. The lightning struck so close that the ground shook. A tall pine wobbled and slowly fell with a loud crack, crashing the neighbouring trees.

“Get under the trees!” The Highlord of Alfheim called the men. The second lightning hit the tall rock at a distance, and the horses neighed and bucked, scared by the cracks and rumbles. Loki grasped Sleipnir’s mane and reins in an attempt to calm the scared animal, and pulled the jibbing horse under the thick canopy of the trees. It was getting dangerous to remain in the open any longer.

The gust of wind threw dust and dry blades of grass into his face, and it was so sharp and strong that Loki could barely stand on his feet. The third lightning struck in the middle of the meadow, deafening the huntsmen with boom and rumble and blinding them with sharp white light. It took Loki all his strength to hold the terrified steed and dodge aside from heavy hooves when the horse reared and bucked. He covered his aching eyes from the unbearable glow. Some men screamed, and he heard the clatter of hoofs of the fleeing horses.

When Loki could see again, the lightning was still there. The white shining strand of pure light was connecting the ground and the sky. He froze, watching it sway slightly from side to side. A narrow black crack appeared in the middle. It looked like a slit in a half-open door, and it kept growing, and the darkness inside was swirling and moving. The darkness inside was _alive_ , and Loki could not look away from the dance of shadows.

Two ghosts poured onto the meadow like two puddles of darkness, like liquid death, and the green grass faded and dried in an instance where they touched it. The shadows flew around the forest clearing, scaring away the rest of the horses, and hit the ground, gaining shape.

Two see-through silhouettes of wolves slowly approached Loki, baring at him their faint teeth and opening the maws in a silent threatening roar. One of the creatures locked its eyes with his, and the Asgardian felt his limbs grow heavy and numb. The beasts walked by his sides, and then leaped forward in a simultaneous, gracious and deadly move.

The two wolves were on a hunt. The prophecy was about to be fulfilled.

Loki sharply pulled the reins of Sleipnir, urging the horse to turn around. Through the veil of rain he saw the shadows disappear in the green thicket, and not a single leaf moved as the wolves made it through.

“Where are you going?” The elven King ripped his sleeve. Loki turned to him and brushed the wet hair off his face.  
“To stop them.” He breathed out and jumped on horseback. Sleipnir jibbed, but the Asgardian growled and sharply hit the horse's sided with heels.

The steed took off and dove into the woods. Loki covered his face from wet branches, steering the horse with one hand. The rain filled the air with lisps and splashes, and Sleipnir’s hooves were beating the anxious rhythm over the wet ground. With the corner of his eye Loki noticed the elven King, urging his white horse in the vain attempt to catch up with the two dark shadows.

“Faster!” Loki roared, digging his heels into Sleipnir’s sides, desperately realizing that the beasts were not fleeing before him, but deliberately allowing him to stay close enough.

The Asgardian clenched his teeth and thrust out his right hand, opening a portal and urging the horse straight into it in an attempt to gain at least a couple of seconds, and praying not to crash into a tree. At some point he realized that the rain was left behind, so fast Sleipnir was going.

Too bad he was not fast enough.

The steed made his way through the sharp bushes of blackthorn onto a peaceful meadow beside the elven encampment a moment too late. The see-through silhouettes of wolves were approaching the two little Princesses playing on the field.

“No!”

The sharp spikes of ice flew off his fingers and pierced through the dark silhouettes of the wolves, but did no harm to the bodiless shadows. The ghosts did not even slow down, but simultaneously leaped forward and all of a sudden gained flesh and blood. The children screamed, the maiden watching over them collapsed on her knees and howled like a wounded animal, as she watched the royal twins being torn to pieces by the beasts.

The drumming of heavy rain filled the meadow, muting the cries of the women. Loki gripped the reins of the horse, helplessly watching the fresh crimson blood mix with water and wet dust.

In the sound of distant thunder he could hear a cold woman’s laughter.

\----------

“What… what on Earth has happened to you?” Julia studied Loki’s face, noticing dark shadows under his eyes and a deep frown crossing his forehead. The Asgardian was unnaturally pale and tense - he had never been so stiff even at the very beginning of their acquaintance. “You look like you have been to Vietnam.”  
“Is Vietnam a word to describe some awful place?” The man asked her absently as he stopped in the middle of the living room with his arms clenched together.  
“Sort of…” Julia hesitated, wondering if he would allow her to come closer and touch him. “How did the trip to Alfheim go? Loki, is something wrong?”  
“You were right about the prophecy.” The Asgardian said quietly. “About the snake and the symbols.”

Julia frowned.

“Is it… a good thing?” She asked gingerly. Loki shook his head and suddenly stepped closer and cupped Julia’s face with his hands. He locked his eyes with hers, and the moment his fingers touched the girl’s temples, she got pulled into a dark void filled with the smell of pines and the distant sounds of birdsong.

_She rode on horseback through the forest in a group of beautiful men with pointed ears - **Elves**?! She chased a white deer: the animal disappeared in the bush, and the hooves raised splashes of water in the air as the hunting party crossed a clear deep creek. A strange dark cloud swallowed the sun, and a thunderbolt hit the ground in the middle of a green forest clearing. Two dark shadows poured out of a thin crack in reality, and the scared horses neighed and fled into the woods. The ghosts gained shape and snapped their faint long teeth at her, and she felt a mixture of fear and desperation. Two gigantic black shadows of wolves were flying above the wet grass, and nothing could stop them, and no horse was fast enough to catch up with the ghosts - not even Sleipnir. Rain kept drumming over the saddle and the armour, and wet branches hit and scratched her face. The horse made it out of the thicket, and she saw the terrible wolves reach two little girls on the green meadow..._

Loki took his fingers away from Julia's temples and backed off.

“The shadows appeared out of nowhere when I went on a hunt with the Highlord of Alfheim. I tried to stop them, but it was in vain... The elven folk used to call these two children The Sun and The Moon of Alfheim, and the Sun and the Moon have just been devoured by the wolves, as it has been foretold. ” He breathed out. “I would have arrived sooner, but I had to stay for the funeral. Since the oldest Princess of Alfheim is my bride-elect, the Highlord expected me to join them in sorrow.”  
“Oh, Hell… I see…” Julia slowly lowered herself on the couch, still relieving the shocking vision of the pursuit through the forest, and the terrible shadow-wolves devouring the two little twins. It took her some time to process Loki’s words, but then the girl gasped and sharply raised her head. “Wait, _what_?! A… a bride? What do you mean by that? Are you _engaged_?!”

Loki could have expected the maid to be surprised by the news. She stared at him without understanding, and the Asgardian bit his lip, regretting the words which had slipped off his tongue a moment ago.

“I am.” Loki confirmed with a short nod. Julia blinked.  
“Since… since when?” She inquired him cautiously. “For how long have you been engaged?”  
“For several days, though the diplomatic discussions had been going on for more than two months. My visit to Alfheim sealed the marriage negotiations.”

Julia sucked in a deep shaky breath, feeling a swirl of cold vacuum slowly grow inside her chest. She suddenly felt like a protagonist of a stupid TV-show where the crew pulls pranks on unsuspecting people, but despite having earned the name of a Trickster, Loki seemed dead serious. What was happening was not a joke.

“Now, this is one hell of a news.” Julia said in order to fill an awkward pause, and her voice cracked. “You have never mentioned to me that you are getting married...”  
“I am not getting married yet, I am _engaged_. There is a big difference.” Loki interrupted her. “No one knows when - or _if_ \- the Allfather shall wake up from Odinsleep, and I have to be prepared for what comes next. If Odin wakes up, I shall face my punishment for usurping the throne, and my brother shall be penalized for letting me do it. But if he dies in his sleep, I shall be crowned Allfather, and in this case I must get married.”

Loki could not understand why he felt a sudden urge to explain himself to the maid and to justify his actions. There was no good reason for it - _she_ was not a good reason - and yet the troubled tone of Julia’s voice was making him anxious. It did not feel right.

“Were you even going to tell me that you are getting married?!” Julia asked, doing her best to sound calm. She nervously brushed her fingers through her hair. “I mean, would you have told me about your engagement if it hadn’t been for this Ragnarok-related shit?”  
“I told you now, didn't I?” Loki replied rather coldly. “Besides, why does this matter bother you so much?”  
“Because I am not used to sleeping with men who cheat on their fiancées.” Julia snapped at the Asgardian. “I can’t help but feel like a partner in crime!”  
“What?!” Loki puffed with amusement, causing the girl to narrow her eyes to slits. “Norns, I saw the maiden for the first time three days ago, and you speak of cheating! There is no romantic involvement between me and my bride-to-be, this marriage is a political alliance.”

Julia folded her arms on her chest. She did not say a single word in response, but something in her posture urged Loki to go on.

“The King of Alfheim traded his oldest daughter to me for a piece of fertile lands at the southern borders of Asgard. The Princess was raised with a sole purpose to become a dutiful wife of a noble-born man, and I shall marry her with a sole purpose to make sure that my bloodline is passed on. Besides, the union will become a necessity only in case of Odin’s death, and no one can tell when it happens. I do not see a way these future arrangements might influence our relationship.”

Loki fell silent and gave Julia an expectant look.

“Well, I do.” The girl countered stubbornly and quietly. “And it is not because both my parents are Catholics, but because what you are offering me to do is just… wrong. You just got engaged, and you are already willing to ruin your marriage…”  
“What is there to ruin? Norns, you really do not understand how such unions work, do you?!” The Asgardian looked at Julia with pity. “The Princess of Alfheim is required to produce a rightful heir to the throne, and nothing above that. I have to fuck the maiden until she gets pregnant, and if my first-born is not male - repeat it once more. After the heir is born, my interaction with the Queen shall be limited to feasts and formal gatherings where the protocol requires her presence. I was requested not to hold any concubine until my legitimate wife is with child, but I assure you that I do not consider such demands to be binding...”

Julia loudly sucked in the air. One reads about loveless political alliances in history books and novels, but one never expects to come across such relic in real life, let alone to be offered a humiliating role of a mistress. It felt wrong and it hurt insanely.

“No, Loki.” She whispered so quietly that Loki guessed the words by the movement of her lips. When the girl opened her eyes, her gaze was colder than the glaciers of Jotunheim. “I do not normally hook up with men who are taken, and I intend to keep up a good habit. You can call it whatever you want, but for me a marriage and an engagement are the same thing. That’s too bad you do not understand it.”

He opened his mouth to interrupt, but Julia shook her head, and Loki noticed her clench her hands together so tightly that the nails left deep marks on the skin.

“It is time we take a… permanent break from whatever has been going on here between us. I suggest that from now on we stick to the provisions of our contract and the common rules of etiquette and good manners in order to ensure a good working relation.” Julia recited like a magic spell, with her eyes tightly shut. “I do hope that my decision to end our affair does not affect our future cooperation.”

Loki listened to Julia’s monotonous voice as she articulated the plain phrases, and for the first time in his life he felt cold. Cold and lost, without a single idea what to do next. He could have threatened the stupid stubborn maid, he could have begged her to change her mind or at least to listen to him, but Loki knew all too well that it wouldn’t work. And he just left, and it was one of the rare moments when he took “no” for an answer.

\----------

Since the very start of her affair with Loki Julia did not hold any illusions - then, as time passed, she _tried_ not to hold any illusions, but with every following day it was getting more and more difficult. As a reasonable girl Julia realized that one day their romance would end, there were many reasons to it, the most obvious being the difference in lifespan. However, living beings do not always think reasonably.

When Loki announced to her the news, it took Julia all her willpower not to break down and cry. It hurt insanely, as if the Asgardian had torn her heart out, as if a tiny nuclear bomb had exploded inside her chest, and a wave of deadly energy swept through the terrain, destroying the buildings and leaving nothing but shadows and a spectacular mushroom cloud in the sky. After Loki left, Julia sat on the edge of the couch for several hours, staring blankly into the darkness behind the window without a single thought in her head.

By dawn Julia finished up a bottle of wine, took a hot shower and beat the temptation to call in sick. The office mailbox surprised her with a great number of urgent tasks, requests and meeting invitations, and the girl eagerly dove headfirst into work. It turned out to be a good decision, because she had no time left to think over the current state of affairs. In Julia's opinion, she was holding rather well for a person with a gaping hole in place of a heart.

The girl kept avoiding the problem for exactly four days and three nights, until Barbara unexpectedly came over uninvited and stubbornly marched into the living room. The woman placed a bottle of wine onto the coffee table and turned to Julia.

“You start talking.”  
“About what?” The girl sighed. She suddenly realized how exhausted she was after four days of pretending to be fine, she was too drained even to speak. “Everything is all right…”  
“Oh, no, I have known you for three years already and I ain't buying your shit. You turned into an overly productive zombie, you didn't high five me at payday, and your house looks more sterile than a surgeon's operating theater.” Barbara recited and folded her arms on her chest. “Besides, you show up in the office with new nail polish for three days in a row, and I know how much you hate to repaint your nails. Whatever it is that you are trying to run away from, you are gonna tell me about it right now.”

Julia sighed and sat down at the edge of the couch.

“Things have gotten a little out of hand in the last few days,” she said gingerly. “And I don't know where to start.”  
“It is always better to start from the very beginning. It is your Norwegian guy, right?” Barbara sighed and flopped into the armchair.

Julia sucked in the air and squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to push down the throbbing pain, but it kept growing stronger and sharper with every moment.

“Yes, it is. They have a… family business, and his father has been in coma for the last two or three years. The family is rather twisted and old-fashioned, and in order to run the company after daddy passes out, he must get married. His father can die tomorrow or in thirty years - no one really knows when, so he got engaged last week in order to stay safe.” She said quietly.  
“Oh,” Barbara breathed out awkwardly. “This is… This is even more sick than all these Scandinavian arthouse films!”

Julia nodded with a long face and hugged a small decorative pillow.

“The problem is that he does not see his new status as an obstacle for our relationship, but I do, because I am not used to sharing my boyfriend with anyone else. So, he suggested to keep seeing each other...” Julia’s voice cracked, and she shuddered.  
“And you probably told him to go fuck himself?” Barbara quietly finished the sentence.  
“Well, I was too startled by the news to find the right words,” the girl responded with a high-pitched nervous laugh. “But that was the idea.”  
“Shit.” Barbara rendered her verdict and got up to sit down by Julia's side. She hugged the girl tightly, and Julia buried her face in the palms, unable to hold the sobs anymore.  
“Why me? Why now?! Why do thing have to be so complicated and fucked up, why can't everything be fine just for once?! I am so tired, I want to sleep but I can't, because in my dreams everything’s back to normal, and when I wake up I want to kill myself so badly! I just can't… I love him! I love him so much, and I don't know what to do!”

Julia curled up in her friend's embrace, suffocating and crying out the frustration and overwhelmingly sharp pain burning deep in the middle of her chest. What should one do, when his own private world suddenly comes crashing down? Julia had no idea, she had never faced this problem before. But she clearly knew one thing: in all the countless Realms there was no other living creature that would wish so desperately for the Allfather to wake up from Odinsleep and fix everything, and prevent her personal little Apocalypse from happening.

Too bad the Allfather wouldn’t wake up.


	29. Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear All,
> 
> I apologize for a terrible delay. I am on business trip in South Korea, a peculiar place where people are overly productive and spend 12+ hours a day in office (well, at least the food here is nice ^.^). I had to keep up with my Korean colleagues and work like crazy, but despite that I found the time to finish this chapter. It is almost as sad as the previous one, besides - we are getting closer to the showdown, and it hurts me to realize that soon I will have to wave goodbye to Loki and Julia :(
> 
> But for now, please enjoy a chapter full of post-breakup awkwardness, where Loki tries to do what he wants, and (FINALLY!) understands what it is that he really wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * A huldra is a Scandinavian magical creature - a troll-like forest nymph who looks like an attractive woman with a cow tail. Normally huldras are rather agreeable, but like all magical creatures, they can get dangerous when angry.
> 
> ** Scarface gang - yep, a real one :)  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarface_gang
> 
> German towns with a rooster on the coat of arms (yep, again - real ones, I spent the whole night searching through Wikipedia for those goddamn chickens!!!):  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt_(Oder)  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilmenau  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haan

“I have just been to HR… and I heard that you are going to Germany.” Barbara leaned over Julia’s desk with a conspiratory look on her face.

Julia glanced at her friend with confusion.

“I am?” She took a hasty sip of coffee and shook her head, diving out of the report figures and colorful bar charts. “Seriously?! Hell, yeah! I mean, I am, of course I am!”

With Loki, monster hunting, Ragnarok prevention and more Loki Julia completely forgot about the application she had registered in the Business Trip section of the company website about two months ago. After the applicants’ CVs had been sorted out and scrutinised, the girl was granted the honor of representing the Customer Service Department at a conference in Berlin. Apparently, the task was not as attractive as it could have seemed - since the Department Manager appeared to be glad to have someone else but him spend three days in a row in a hotel conference room - but for Julia it was a distraction from her personal drama, and she gladly accepted the offer.

It took her no more than a couple of hours to fill in a business trip pre-report. While the employees of the HR department were searching for the most cost-efficient flights and rail connections, Julia leaned back in her office chair and tried to evaluate the current situation.

Adult life was all about bills and responsibility. One had to consider which roads to take and which choices to make. Julia understood the reasoning behind Loki's decision to get engaged - the man had a kingdom to run, and he needed an heir. Nevertheless, it did not mean that she did not wish for him to fall down the stairs and break his legs.

He made his choice, she had to make hers and live through the consequences. It has been almost a week since Loki had informed her about the engagement and since she had suggested him to take a break - or simply speaking, since she had dumped him. Yes, indeed, she had dumped a freaking Norse God and even got away with her life. The good thing was that the Asgardian did not come uninvited anymore. The bad thing was that despite a drastic fall in the number of meetings they would hold, they were still condemned to at least one evening a week in each other's company, and it was not going to be an easy evening.

 _“Did you tell him?” Barbara asked her before leaving after the night of emotional breakdowns and revelations, and Julia could barely hold a burst of histrionic laughter. Her imagination was not wild enough to picture Loki's face after her confession of the true feelings._  
_“No. Of course I didn't... You see, things are too complicated between us.” Falling in love with a fictional character who turned out to be an ice giant of flesh and blood deserved a definition of **complicated**._

_Barbara studied her friend with attention for a longer moment, and then she sighed._

_“Things are always as complicated as you let them be.” The curly-haired woman winked at Julia. “Trust me, I know life.”_  
_“You are only two years older than me.” Julia reminded her with a faint smile, leaning over the doorframe._  
_“This is why you should respect my opinion.”_

Just like their relationship had been going through stages - some time ago the girl even bought a second bottle of shower gel because the Asgardian refused to smell like orange blossom - Julia was going through the widely-known stages of grief. She approached the problem with due proactivity and applied the most common coping mechanism from sappy soap operas and Hollywood romantic comedies: she dyed her hair. And suchwise, Julia ended up somewhere in between depression and self-pity with a touch of hatred, but at least her hairstyle was flawless.

\----------

It was early morning, the best time to arrive in an unfamiliar city. Julia got out of the train onto a busy Berlin Hauptbahnhof station and decisively headed towards a huge exit sign, pulling a bright red suitcase behind her back. A taxi took her to the hotel. It has been almost half a year since Julia had used common means of transportation, but alas, her Asgardian Airlines were no longer fit for personal use. _Just business._

The first day of the conference passed in a flash. Julia was so exhausted by workshops, presentations and coffee-break chatting that in the evening she went straight to bed and did not even consider going out to see the city. Her head hurt from information overload, and her cheeks hurt from constant smiling at foreign colleagues. By midday on the second day she started to understand why the Department Manager had been so overjoyed at her wish to attend the conference instead of him.

The schedule was constantly changing, the coffee was bad and the presentations were dull and long. The girl tried not to laugh when she heard quiet snoring of her Belgian colleague to the left. Indeed, the one who decided to turn off the lights had not thought it over well. Julia embraced the overall lethargic mood and cupped her chin with one palm, sleepily blinking at the bright screen.

She fell asleep after all, and jerked awake with a touch of faint fingers over her forearm. Julia rubbed her eyes, hoping that Loki's attempt to contact her would turn out to be nothing but a dream.

 _“Julia?”_ Unfortunately, it was no dream. The girl bit her lip, fighting an urge to ignore the Asgardian. The quiet calling in her head repeated, this time it was more loud and persistent, and she heard irritation in Loki's voice.  
_“Yes?”_ The girl breathed out. _“Hi. What do you want?”_  
_“I want to know, where in the name of the Norns are you?”_ Loki hissed inside her head.

Julia bit her lip. She would have thrown the magical bracelet in Loki’s face, if only she knew how to open the lock, but the golden shackle seemed to be sealed with some kind of a spell, and asking the Asgardian to take it off her would have been too humiliating. So, she had no chance to hang up on her ex, no matter how much she wanted to.

 _“I am at a conference in Germany.”_ She thought back with reluctance. _“And I am really, really busy, so if you do not mind…”_  
_“I do mind, because it is Wednesday.”_ Loki snapped, and when Julia closed her eyes she saw his shadow fold its arms on the chest and glare at her with irritation. _“And the spell shall punish us both, because in exactly five minutes we are supposed to hold a meeting, but for some reason the only living creature I find in your house is your stupid singing chicken…”_  
_“Siren,”_ Julia corrected him. _“I am at the Mercure Berlin City Hotel.”_

Loki inside her head fell silent, vexed and displeased - she could feel his annoyance and anger even at a distance - and a moment later the girl hissed and cringed in pain.

Indeed, it was Wednesday, and Julia had to admit that due to her personal drama and the unexpected business trip she had completely forgotten which day of the week it was. The girl bit her lip, hoping that Loki would get to her fast, and hastily got up from her seat in the middle of the long row of chairs. She made her way out, doing her best not to step on her colleagues’ feet and trying to stifle a whine of pain. The prickling and burning was growing stronger with every second, and by the time Julia scurried on tiptoes towards the exit, she could barely hold the tears. The girl squeezed through a half-open door and pressed her back to the wall, gulping for air. It took her some time to focus her eyes on the approaching tall figure.

Loki stopped by Julia’s side, a grimace of rage on his face and the dangerous crimson glimmer in his eyes. The girl swallowed and braced herself for a reprimand she clearly deserved. At this moment the doors opened, and seven dozens of exhausted men and women poured out of the conference room onto a brightly lit hallway. The mob rushed towards a long table with tea, coffee and cookies by the wall.

“Care to explain, why am I the last to find out about your unexpected journey?” Loki hissed. Julia helplessly looked around, but the uninvited angry visitor did not seem to bother her colleagues. “Besides, I do not recall giving you a permission to skip our meeting.”

Julia's brows flew up. She was about to apologize, but changed her mind.

“I do not recall asking for your permission to got on a work-related conference.” The girl huffed and folded her arms on the chest. “Besides, since last time you had requested me to reschedule because of your personal matters, I assumed that I can do the same.”  
“You assumed wrong.” The Asgardian countered with a frown. “Be reminded that the reason why I had requested your consent to reschedule was important and influenced the future fate of my Kingdom, while your little conference is utterly personal.”

The girl was about to argue back, but Loki suddenly cocked his head to a side and gave her an interested and confused look. Julia hastily brushed her palm over the face, wondering if she had pen ink on her nose.

“What?!”  
“Your hair… It looks peculiar.” The Asgardian reached out and lightly tugged on a strand of her hair - natural brown at the roots and golden blonde at the ends. “Did something go wrong when you tried to alter your appearance?”  
“No!” Julia could not hold a laugh. “This is a planned outcome, the hairstyle is called ombre. The whole point is to have two different colors gradually mixing together. It… it is not that bad, right?  
“No, it is lovely, just strange…” Loki shrugged, but did not take his hand away. Instead he twirled her lock around his finger, and a faint smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Looks like you could not decide what you wanted.”

This pretty much summed up her current emotional state. Julia close her eyes for a moment, savouring the sensation of Loki's fingers brushing through her hair, and remembering the way his hands would gently cup her head when he kissed her - and then, she also remembered the reason for her distress. The girl sharply jerked away and hastily braided her hair into a messy plait, avoiding to look the man in the eyes.

Loki clenched his jaw, but said nothing.

“Well, the good news is that the contract will not burn us anymore since we have seen each other today and the compulsory meeting took place.” Julia said quietly, looking at the open door of the conference room in a meaningful way. “And it seems that after a two-hour delay I will finally have the honor to share with everyone the spectacular success of the Polish branch. So, if you are busy, there is no need to…”  
“I am not busy.” Loki interrupted her, and under his attentive gaze Julia felt even more uneasy than before. “Actually, since I am here, I thought that we could talk about our…”  
“ _No!_ ” Her voice was a pathetic squeal. Several men and women clad in suits turned to look at her, and Julia took a tiny step back. “If you want to stay - fine, you are more than welcome, but we won't talk about anything. It is… I don't have time, sorry.”

The girl darted into the conference room as if she was running for her life. It was not about the time and they both knew it. Loki angrily cursed under his breath, watching the stubborn jennet walk up the stairs onto a podium, and fought an urge to make the thick black cables move, so that she would trip in her loud unstable shoes and make a fool of herself, and maybe get hurt. It took him much effort to restrain from mischief. He did not want the maid to see that he was uncomfortable with her decision to end their affair, because she might think that he cared. And he did not care at all, not a tiny bit. Loki sat down in the back row, staring at a big bright screen and listening to her nervous voice.

Julia was energetically clicking on the mouse button, taking the bored sleepy audience through the pie charts and diagrams representing the increase in the overall number of supported clients and completed projects. Her own voice in the microphone sounded unfamiliar, too high and hesitant, and the girl realized that the reason for her nervous tremor was not stage fright. The reason sat in the back row, with long legs stretched across the passage, and stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face, and Julia had no idea what else Loki might want with her, since she had already made it clear to him that everything was over between them. The Asgardian was obviously not used to being rejected.

Stubborn mule.

Julia mercifully scrolled through the last ten slides and shut the laptop with a loud click, giving the tired colleagues a signal to run free. The big conference room grew empty very fast - _too_ fast, and the girl shouldered the laptop bag and decisively headed towards the nearest exit herself. With the corner of her eye she noticed Loki get up from his seat.

“In such a hurry, aren't we?” He drawled behind her back. Julia sighed and stopped, and turned to face the man.  
“I want to leave the laptop in the room and take a quick walk around the Mitte district.” She replied. “I was too tired to go out yesterday, and tomorrow is the last day of the conference, and I haven't seen the city yet...”  
“And you won’t.” Loki handed her a tablet - her own tablet - with some kind of article displayed on the screen. “We have places to go.”  
“Hey! I was looking for this thing,” Julia gasped and tore the gadget out of Loki's hands. “I thought that someone stole it. You can't just take my stuff without permission!”  
“I got bored.” The Asgardian shrugged indifferently. “Your presentation was very unbalanced. You were advancing too fast and did not even try to make these people listen to you. This is not how you speak in public.”  
“My presentation was just right,” the girl countered and pressed the tablet to her chest. “After eleven hours of non-stop talking these pour souls craved nothing else but to leave this place, and so did I.”

The Asgardian grimaced slightly and rested his gaze on the tablet in Julia's hands. The girl nodded and lowered her head, eyes scanning through the article.

“Two bank robberies, one in Frankfurt-Oder, Brandenburg, another in Ilmenau, Thuringia. So what?” She shook her head. “What do bank robberies have to do with magical creatures?”

Loki huffed and rolled his eyes.

“I understand that you are tired, but do try to concentrate and read with attention,” he suggested. “Two bank robberies in the last five days. Not a single victim, and also not a single witness fit to testify. Both the visitors and the employees of the banks which were robbed have no remembrance of the event, as if someone had hypnotized them or wiped out their memories.”

Julia sighed. Apparently, fate had a twisted sense of humour. The girl would give anything for a chance not to spend time together with Loki, but it seemed that they were condemned to each other's company for the following couple of days.

“Come on, let's drop my laptop in the room first. I am staying here on the sixth floor.” She tossed her head towards the open doors, urging the Asgardian to follow. “Oh, by the way, there is a restaurant with good steaks and burgers downstairs, and I am starving.”

They did not go to the restaurant after all - instead, Julia ordered room service and rebooked her return ticket from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. One extra day and a half seemed to be enough to catch a bank-robbing magical creature.

They ate the dinner in silence. From time to time Julia would catch Loki glance at her, but he said nothing and neither did she. The cold autumn rain was drumming loudly into the windows of the hotel room.

“We need to find a monster which possesses mind-control powers and loves gold.” Loki finally said and carefully placed the knife and fork onto the empty plate. “Do you have any suspects?”  
“Well, to be honest, I don't. There aren't many German magical creatures that I would know of.” Julia confessed and curled up in the armchair. “Basically, German lore is very similar to the myths of Scandinavia, and maybe you could help me out here...”  
“I had told you once of the beings which inhabit the Northern lands.” Loki shook his head. “They are all children of the forests who do not value gold. Trolls are the most dangerous ones of all, but as you might remember, trolls have no interest in robbing human banks.”

Julia looked up at Loki and swallowed. It was the troll hunt and their trip to Norway when she had felt the touch of his hands against her bare skin and when she had witnessed the glimmer of desire in his eyes for the first time - dangerous, dark and animal-like. Much had changed since that day.

The man bit his lip, and Julia saw a decisive look on his face - a look which meant only one thing: he was about to speak of the matters she would prefer to avoid. And at this very moment, she got a brilliant idea and jumped on her feet.

“Wait for me here.” The girl commanded and grabbed her purse from the console table.

The quest to the gift shop took her about ten minutes. Julia stormed back into the hotel room with a wide smile and demonstrated to the Asgardian a rustling bright bag. Loki cocked a brow, watching Julia balance on one foot as she was pulling off the boots.

“There is a souvenir shop downstairs. Just so you know, Germany is famous for beer, porn, cool cars and The Brothers Grimm.” The girl explained and tossed at Loki a heavy book. “They had the English version with pictures. Enjoy!”

The book was beautiful, with a thick solid cover and colorful illustrations and an ornate initial starting every new story. Loki lowered his head, studying the contents with interest.

“But… these are fairy tales!” He drawled in a disappointed tone and ruffled the pages in an offhand manner.  
“No, this is your encyclopedia of German magical creatures.” Julia giggled and crouched by her suitcase in search of a pair of jeans and a comfortable sweatshirt. “Look through it while I take a shower, will you?”

Loki watched the girl walk towards the bathroom with fresh clothes in her hands, and once again he felt a strong desire to cause her pain, to throw the heavy book at her, to make her suffer and maybe even cry. She was doing her best to act around him in a business-like and overly-friendly manner, and it was driving him insane. When he had tried to initiate a discussion about their current situation, the Midgardian was insolent and bold enough to shush him, and Loki was not used to being silenced. He was not used to the sucking feeling of emptiness in the chest, either, and yet it would not go away since the day the maid had learned of his engagement, since the day she had pushed him away - not because she did not desire him anymore, but because she was too proud and childish to understand that the role of a mistress was a generous offering from his side, and she should be grateful.

_Women._

When Julia pushed the bathroom door open, she was greeted by a burst of quiet derisive laughter. Loki was reading the book she had purchased for him, and from what she could tell, he was already in the middle. The Asgardian sat in the armchair, with his legs stretched forward and feet resting on the table. He turned his head at the sound of her steps.

“Got anything interesting?” The girl asked him.  
“Not much, but your fairy tales are hilarious.” Loki replied with another laugh and turned the page.  
“Why?”  
“Because everyone lives happily ever after.” He replied and slammed the book closed.  
“And why is that funny to you?” Julia sighed and dragged herself to sit down on the bed. Loki gave her a pitiful look.  
“Because it is naive and unrealistic.”  
“Fairy tales are for children,” Julia reminded him. “They are supposed to be like this.”  
“No, and this is your problem.” The Asgardian placed the book on the table. “Tales are supposed to teach the young ones life, and life is neither kind nor fair. The good and the righteous ones die, the faithful ones get betrayed, and the little girl gets devoured by a wolf. This is real, and your sweet stories are not.”  
“I keep forgetting how viking-like and oldschool your world is.” Julia shook her head. “You are missing the point. Indeed, long ago tales used to be a warning for the young ones passed in a form of a magical story - do not talk to strangers, do not walk through the dark forest alone - but times have changed. Now the fairy tales are a way to teach the children how be good people. The message they carry is one and the same - do not be a dick, help other people and treat them nicely, and in the end you shall be rewarded…”  
“Bullshit.” Loki suddenly snapped angrily, causing the girl to jump in surprise. He leaned forward with a strange pained grimace on his face. “How can you believe this nonsense?! There is no such thing as Greater Justice, there is no reward for the good ones nor the punishment for the heartless bastards. How weak your race must be to poison the children's minds with unreasonable fantasies and faint pointless hope since the moment of birth?!”  
“I see nothing bad in a little bit of fantasy and hope, especially when everything is going to shit.” Julia replied coldly, crumpling the bedcloth in her fingers. “It doesn't mean that we are weak.”  
“I would wish to agree with you, but I cannot,” Loki sneered and spread his arms. He was back to his calm self again. “You see, the desire to escape reality has always been a trait of the weak ones.”  
“Hell, no. It is a desire common for all living beings.” Julia snapped at him, gulping down a sudden urge to burst to tears. “You do not consider yourself to be weak, but I bet there is something you dream of as well, something that will never happen no matter how much you wish and pray.”  
“No, there is not.” Loki replied plainly a little too fast. Julia narrowed her eyes, watching him closely.  
“Yes, there is.” She countered quietly. “There always is. And I know that deep down you will agree with me, if I say that a reasonable dose of unreasonable fantasies helps us all cope with the hardships. You see, people rarely get what they deserve, and they hardly ever deserve what they get. Maybe the fairy tales are not life-like, maybe they are naive and sappy and primitive, but in the end everything is right, and this is what we all secretly dream of - even though some of us will never acknowledge it aloud.”

Julia ceased to speak and reached for the laptop, making Loki understand that the conversation was over. The Asgardian bit his lip and picked the book up from the table. He opened it in the middle and mindlessly stared at the page, with the corner of his eye watching the girl and making notice of a sorrowful frown and shaky hands. Their argument was not at all about children's fairy tales, and they both knew it.

Too bad life was not a fairy tale.

\----------

On Saturday morning Julia met with Loki in the hotel lobby. The Asgardian looked cranky and tired. They both had spent two nights awake in vain attempts to find a creature that could have been guilty of magic-induced bank robberies, and both times Loki left her room around 3 A.M. after wishing the girl good night in the most courteous and decent manner. He did not try to discuss their relationship anymore, and Julia was grateful for that. It seemed that the Asgardian finally accepted the new status quo, and both of them were coping with the changes like sane mature adults.

The portal took them to the central part of a small town named Ilmenau, the one where the second robbery took place and the trail was fresh. They got out of an empty deadlock and squeezed between garbage containers, making their way to the street leading towards the police station. The weather was as bad as it could get in the beginning of October: gusts of chilly wind were throwing drops of rain into Julia's face, and the sky was so grey that it was hard to believe it was early morning.

The town was tiny, clean and sleepy, and the central police station was just the same. The officers were relaxed, friendly and helpful, but nevertheless, a touch of Loki's magic was required to make sure two complete strangers without a clear purpose of visit are allowed to speak to the detective investigating the bizarre bank robbery.

Julia rocked on the chair in the policeman's office and quickly glanced at Loki, seeking help and moral support. The detective, a tall grey-haired man in mid-forties, sat across the table with a polite smile, his eyes icy blue and empty.

“Hi there, mister Weber. I… I was wondering if you could share with us the details of your ongoing investigation of the bank robbery from two days ago? We would greatly appreciate it!”

Loki rolled his eyes. The police officer nodded and pressed the power button on his computer.

“Of course, let me make you a copy of the files.” He said in an emotionless voice. The computer filled the office with a quiet buzz. “We teamed up with our colleagues from Frankfurt because the robberies seem to have been committed by the same group of people. The assaults are a peculiar case because in both cases the criminals carried firearms on them, but did not even resort to threatening the bank workers with gunfire - there was no need for it. Here I have the videos from the security cameras at both crime scenes, here in Ilmenau and the one from Frankfurt-Oder as well.”

The policeman tossed his head, urging the visitors to come closer. Julia and Loki went round the desk and peered into the screen as the officer played two videos one by one. The sequence was the same both times: a group of four men stormed inside the financial centre carrying guns. For a brief moment there was panic, but then all of a sudden the employees behind the counters as well as the clients got down on the floor as one, and the bank manager moved around the office, taking the money out of cash boxes and safes. In a minute or so the employee handed over a bag to the robbers, and they left the building. Not a single person moved after the criminals fled.

“When the officers arrived at the crime scene, the people were still, sprawled on the floor in some kind of trance.” The detective explained. “None of them remembered a thing, as if someone had wiped out their memory. We got them all examined, and it seems that there was no physical nor psychological damage, but the medics have no explanation for what has happened.”  
“What about the criminals? Did you follow them?”  
“We tried to, but precious time was lost due to the fact that none of the employees had reported the robbery. We found the car abandoned in the forest nearby, but it seems to be a dead end. It belongs to an eighty year old Syrian who barely speaks German, and he had no idea that the vehicle had been gone. He is either suffering from memory loss, or has been subject to the same hypnosis as the bank employees.”  
“Now, this is weird.” Loki drawled and took a full cup of coffee from the officer's desk.  
“Yep, weird as hell.” Julia took the policeman's cup out of Loki's hand and placed it back on the table. “Play the video again, please.”

The detective nodded and followed the order. Loki and Julia locked their eyes on the black and white tape.

“It seems to me that this man in the middle is holding something in his hands.” The Asgardian tapped his finger on the computer screen. “Too bad I cannot see what it is.”

Indeed, one of the criminals was holding his hands at mouth level, as if he was eating a sandwich or playing a trumpet, but he stood with his back to the camera.

“Again,” Julia commanded and pulled herself a chair to sit down.  
“Do you see any pattern in these crimes?” Loki asked the policeman and rubbed his eyes. “Share your thoughts.”

The officer stood at attention.

“The crimes took place around midday in remote parts of town where the response time of the police force is statistically longer. Both times the robberies were committed in smaller financial centres of two entirely different banks, neither the companies nor the owners are related. As you have seen, the group of criminals counts four men plus the driver, they might not be confident enough to attack a big financial centre, and if the robberies continue, their next pick might also be a small town. What I cannot explain is the choice of location: Ilmenau and Frankfurt-Oder are situated in entirely different parts of the country. We suspect some kind of a personal connection which we currently fail to see, but my group is working on it…”

Julia reached for the mouse and replayed the video once more as she listened to the policeman’s voice. From what she could say, the task was not going to be easy: the bank robber was a man, probably a wizard like Loki. Their whole research turned out to be a waste of time, since not a single magical creature from old German tales was guilty the crime. However, the legends are not always about creatures.

“Oh, fuck me!” Julia breathed out and turned to Loki and the policeman so abruptly that she almost fell off the spinning office chair. Loki gave her an interested look.  
“Right here? Well, if you insist, I can pretend that I did not hear you say that our affair is over...” he replied with a short laugh, but earned himself a punch in the abdomen.  
“Shut up, will you? I know exactly who we are looking for.”

\----------

“There is a Medieval legend about a rat-catcher from one of the smaller towns in Germany - he is sometimes also called The Pied Piper. In the thirteenth century a town of Hamelin suffered from rat infestation, the dwellers could barely leave their homes because the pests were flooding the streets like a living moving river. At that time, a stranger dressed in colorful clothing arrived and promised the people that he will get rid of the rats for good. He started to play his flute as he walked down the main street, and with surprise the people saw the rats follow him. The man stopped on the steep riverbank, and as he kept playing the melody, the pests all dove into the deep waters and drowned. When he returned to collect his payment, the greedy mayor did not want to give the stranger the gold which had been promised, and together with the villagers he threatened to beat the rat-catcher up if he ever returns. The man left, but promised that one day he will make them all pay - and so he did. One Sunday all villagers went to the church for a service, and only the children were playing in the streets and in the yards. Then, the rat-catcher returned. He played his flute, and one hundred and thirty children answered his calling as one. They followed the stranger out of the town, and were never to be seen again. The original version of the legend says that he drowned the children in the river just like the rats, another one - that he kept them in a mountain cave near the town until the villagers paid him three times the price they owed him. Anyway, the rat-catcher from the legend must be the one we are searching for. He fits perfectly.”  
“Why would a wizard with a power of mind-control be robbing banks in small towns in Germany? This makes no sense.” Loki huffed and took a sip of hot black coffee. “He is wasting his abilities - if I were in his place, I would have already…”  
“Yes, I know, but not every wizard with a power of mind-control has a kink for world domination,” the girl snapped with irritation. “According to the legend, the mayor never paid for his help - this is the reason why the rat-catcher took the children away. Maybe his powers have woken up, and he is seeking revenge on the human race for unfair treatment from several centuries ago.”  
“In this case, he is seeking revenge in the wrong place. You say that the events of your legend had taken place in the town named Hamelin, but the bank robberies were committed in two entirely different places...” Loki bit the inside of his cheek, musing over Julia’s theory, but then his face lit up with excitement. “Did the mayor of Hamelin have a family? A wife and children? Many centuries have passed, they could have moved to another place...”  
“You think that he wants to take away the money of the mayor’s descendants, don’t you?” Julia laughed. “God, you’re a genius! Have you ever considered joining the police force?”  
“No,” the Asgardian smirked at her. “And yes - I believe that if the wizard is obsessed with revenge, he might be searching for the bank in which the mayor’s offspring keep their savings in order to collect the old debt. Now the only thing left is to locate the mayor’s descendants. It must be easy for you, right?”

Of course, it wasn’t easy at all. Loki was quite familiar with the history of Earth, but what he failed to comprehend was the difference in the speed of development. For him, the census data from the thirteenth century seemed to be as reachable as that from a couple of decades ago. Julia tried to explain to the Asgardian that all the ground-breaking inventions took place in the last two hundred years, and there had been no databases nor detailed records in the thirteenth century, but Loki seemed not to believe her. What he believed, though, was the magic power of the Internet. They sat by the window in a small cosy cafe in Ilmenau downtown, and Julia tried to find the descendants of a man who used to run a small German town of Hamelin almost a millennium ago.

She tried, and she failed. It has been almost five hours, and Julia made no progress at all. Loki was doing his best not to distract her, but after they had breakfast and lunch, and there were no newspapers left to read, he started to get impatient.

“Any news?” The Asgardian finished tearing the last paper serviette to small pieces and looked around the diner.  
“Not yet.” Julia stretched her back. “It is not a task as easy as you might think.”  
“You just have to ask the Internet the right question.” Loki shrugged. “I see nothing difficult in that.”  
“Loki, it _is_ difficult! The Internet is not some kind of an omniscient being, and I do not speak German,” Julia cried out and ripped a cup of coffee out of his hand. She rubbed her tired eyes and took a sip. “Google Translate is not always helpful, especially when it comes to old historical records. This is just useless… I tried to search for the mayor’s family on all available genealogy forums, I even traced them to the end of sixteenth century - indeed, they moved out of Hamelin - but this is it. I am in a deadlock. The sixteenth century was the period of religion-induced wars in Europe, Germany was being torn apart, many records were destroyed…”  
“You must be searching in the wrong place,” Loki replied plainly with a shrug. “And I do not recall giving you a permission to drink my coffee. Just so you know, the punishment for stealing from the King is death.”

Julia huffed and slammed a mug onto the table.

“I am sorry, your Highness,” she drawled and folded her arms on the chest. “Will I be executed at dawn, or can I hope for a royal pardon if I get you a new one?”

Loki frowned.

“Norns, woman, it was just a joke…” He sighed and awkwardly shifted on his seat. “Drink, if you want to.”  
“I don't.” Julia spat out angrily. “Will you be so kind and stop distracting me? I am trying to do important stuff here, if you haven’t noticed!”  
“Will you be so kind and stop screaming at me like an infuriated huldra*?” Loki replied quietly, leaning forward. “The people are looking at you, if you haven’t noticed.”

Julia blinked in surprise, realizing that the visitors of the small cafeteria have all turned to their table. She hunched her back, feeling a blush of shame heat her cheeks.

“Why the hell don’t you make them unsee us?” She hissed.  
“Because this way you will be ashamed to yell at me for no reason, and maybe behave like a sane adult.” The Asgardian spat out coldly and rocked back on his chair. “For the last few days I have been very tolerant to your moods, but my patience has its limits, Julia. If you have something to say to me, you’d better do it, and stop running away from the problem like a little scared child…”  
“I have nothing to say to you, and I am not running away from problems! I just… You know what?! I am done,” Julia angrily pushed an open laptop across the table. “Now you try to dig through thousands of web-sites in foreign language, and I will sit here and whine like a bored ten year old. And when you are tired and pissed and your eyes hurt, I will ask you what your problem is, deal?”

The girl hastily reached for the purse and the coat, unsure of what she was going to do next. Bursting into tears under cold autumn rain seemed like a good idea. When she pulled on the coat, Loki jumper up from his seat as well and caught her by the wrist.

“You stop right there,” he growled and pulled her closer.  
“You let me go right now.” Julia jibbed and yanked her hand, but Loki squeezed her wrist tighter instead of loosening the grip, and she gasped in pain.  
“No! Stop this. It is not about being tired, and we both know it. What I want is to talk with you, _just talk_ , but you keep hiding behind unimportant pathetic excuses.” Loki hissed at her. “You might try to behave as if nothing has happened, but I see that you are not fine with your own decision, and you want to be with me as badly as I crave your touch. Why can’t you stop lying to yourself, why do you need to make us both go through this torment?!”

Julia lowered her head, desperately trying to pull her hand out of the Loki’s clutch and feeling her lips shake. It would have been a shame to start crying in front of him.

“Excuse me…” A tiny blue-eyed waitress behind the counter pressed a tray to her chest and watched them with eyes full of terror. “Miss, do you want me to call the police? Is everything fine?”

Nothing was fine. Julia glanced at Loki, then at the frightened girl.

“Sorry, we just got a little... emotional.” She wheezed out and tried to issue a smile at the waitress, but failed. “We will be leaving in a moment. I… I apologize for the inconvenience.”

Loki took a deep breath and let go of Julia. He awkwardly smoothed out the coat, waiting for her to put the laptop into the bag, and followed the girl outside, onto the street paved with wet pebble stone. They walked by each other’s side in silence, the furious clip-clop of Julia’s boots echoing from the walls of beautiful old houses. The Asgardian shut his eyes, savouring the touch of chilly wind on his skin and trying to calm down. He has already said too much and made a fool of himself in front of two dozens of Midgardians. Enough is enough, he was not going to lose his mind over a stupid obstinate quim. If she wants to suffer and play a victim, so be it.

He did not care at all, not a tiny bit.

\----------

Even in the most horrific weather Ilmenau downtown looked adorable, like a real-size gingerbread creation. Julia snapped out of her gloomy thoughts when they reached the white building of the town hall. She quickly glanced at the Asgardian marching by her side, making notice of a frown and lips pursed into a thin line and wondering, what to do next and how to behave around him. The man caught her gaze and huffed, slowing down.

“Three months.” He suddenly said.  
“What?” Julia almost tripped on wet pavement, so unexpectedly his voice broke the silence.  
“For three more months you will have to put up with my presence,” Loki clarified in a plain voice. “However, if Ragnarok comes on the first day of November, it will only be one month.”  
“Loki, I…”  
“What? Don’t try to tell me that you are happy to have me around, Julia, I can feel when you lie.” He laughed shortly and stopped. “Norns, do you even know how many maidens would kill for a chance to become the mistress of the King?”  
“Don’t know, don’t care,” she replied in a tired emotionless voice, turning to face him. “Loki, can you just stop this, please? When I say that there is nothing to talk about, it doesn't mean that I want you to coax me or persuade me to change my mind, it just means that there is nothing to talk about. You see, sometimes women just say what they think.”

A gust of cold wind ripped their hair, adding a dramatic touch to the awkward post-breakup talk and making Julia feel a little like a heroine of a sappy melodrama.

“Are we done here, or will you keep on pushing me to discuss things that are no more?” Julia sighed and tilted her head back, watching small clouds of vapor come out of her mouth as she breathed.

A moment later she felt that something was wrong - _more wrong_ than before. Loki stood motionless, staring at the heavy wooden doors of the city hall with a look of terror on his face.

“Loki?” Julia swallowed and cautiously reached out to touch his forearm. “Loki, are you all right?”  
“It had to happen here, out of all places...” the Asgardian uttered and suddenly laughed, quietly and hoarsely. When he turned to look at Julia, the girl fought an urge to step back. His eyes were deep and hollow, like two dark wells. “They knew I would come.”  
“Who… What are you talking about?” Julia nervously looked around. All she could see were a few tourists taking pictures and shivering under the chilly drizzle. Not a single one of them seemed dangerous.  
“The faceless ones. Every town of Midgard has a coat of arms, a symbol. Is it true?"  
“Well, I think so.” Julia wrapped a coat around herself tighter. She did not have a slightest idea what has caused distress to Loki. “What… what is wrong?”  
“Take a look at this.”

The Asgardian handed to her the police report describing the first robbery. The copy was of such good quality that even the watermarks were visible - both the logo of the German Federal Police and the coat of arms of Frankfurt-Oder, depicting a bright red rooster in the doorway of an opened red towergate.

“Three roosters cry. One is crimson, another one is golden-yellow, like the sun itself,” Loki spoke slowly. “And the last one is soot-red. Just like the prophecy says.”

Julia followed his gaze and gasped. The heavy locked doors of the Ilmenau town hall had figures and symbols carved into the wooden surface, one of those symbols being the coat of arms of the town. The same was on the wall by the entrance - a bright yellow shield with the German black eagle and a rooster.

Apparently, this was the connection the detective at the police station of Ilmenau was desperately trying to figure out. They were about to reach the following milestone of the Ragnarok prophecy.

“No way!”  
“Two crimes have been committed in two entirely different towns.” Loki mused, shivering in the cold wind like he had never done before. “Two roosters have cried already… Two down and one to go...”

Julia sharply tugged his sleeve, forcing the Asgardian to snap out of the trance.

“We need to leave!” She said decisively. “If we just go away now nothing bad will happen, right?”  
“I think opposite,” Loki shook his head. “Now that I am here, the prophecy will be fulfilled if the rooster cries for the third time. I need to prevent it from happening, the faster - the better. We must stop the rat-catcher before he causes someone harm again.”

Julia nodded and walked towards the town hall building. She sat down on the wet stone steps, ruining her soft beige coat, and pulled the phone out of the pocket. The glimmer of the small screen lit up her pale face.

“What are you doing?” Loki asked, watching the girl with concern.  
“Oh, nothing, I just love to seat in the cold rain, this is all…” She replied, her head down, and suddenly gave him a reassuring smile. “I am looking for the third rooster, of course. _Haan._ A small town in North Rhine-Westphalia, the coat of arms is a black rooster with a red crest. Sounds pretty much like soot-red to me.”

\----------

This time Loki did not bother to make sure their arrival remains unnoticed, but lucky for them, the broad street was completely empty. A train of police cars with lights and sirens drove by at full speed.

“Fuck,” Loki and Julia breathed out simultaneously and hurried down the street. They went round the corner and saw a thick crowd surrounding the three-storey building with a big blue Deutsche Bank sign. The emergency lights of police and ambulance vans were coloring the grey afternoon sky in shades of blue. A hoarse voice of the policeman was ringing over the street, enhanced by a megaphone, a group of officers with assault weapons gathered by the red and white tape separating the nervous mob from the place of accident.

Apparently, they arrived a moment too late.

Loki looked around and suddenly caught Julia by the belt of her coat, pulling the girl away from the crowd, towards the police vans parked at a distance.

They walked along the line of cars, and Julia followed Loki, wondering what he was about to do. The Asgardian trod carefully, listening to every sound, and stopped near one of the vans. Julia opened her mouth, about to ask what had happened, but the man shortly shook his head. A moment later the rear door of the van opened, and a policeman dressed in a tactical vest and a helmet emerged from inside the truck. Loki caught him by the shoulder and effortlessly pulled the officer back into the car.

“Jump in, and close the door,” he commanded, turning to Julia.

The girl followed the order. She slammed the rear door closed and lowered herself on a seat, pressing the laptop bag to her chest and feeling her heart pound loudly. The policeman was seated by her side, and Julia could see his eyes sparkle with icy blue through the visor of the riot helmet. Loki crouched before the officer.

“What is going on here?” He inquired.  
“One hundred and twenty-nine people have been taken hostage inside the bank office. They are all cooperating, but nevertheless, we fear for their lives.” The policeman replied with a heavy sharp accent. “The criminals are carrying firearms. They are demanding a helicopter, and they have threatened to start killing the hostages in five minutes if they don't get what they want. We have been able to identify the men: they are affiliated with the Scarface gang**...”  
“But wait… how, where is the rat-catcher?!” Julia helplessly threw her hands up in the air.  
“There is none,” Loki replied nervously. “Don’t you understand? There had never been a wizard who controls the minds, but there is a magic flute, and with its help anyone can become a rat-catcher. This time the artefact fell into the hands of the outlaws. The first two robberies were nothing but a rehearsal, the criminals were getting ready for a bigger one.”  
“But what do we do now?!” Julia cried out helplessly.  
“Let me think… How many children did the rat-catcher take away from their homes?” Loki asked her.  
“One hundred and thirty.” The girl replied. “Why do you ask?”  
“Because there are exactly one hundred and twenty-nine hostages inside the bank.” The Asgardian bit his knuckle, pondering over something. “I was wondering why the criminals haven’t walked out yet, I mean - if they can force anyone to do anything, they could have made the city guards flee or massacre each other, they could have left in the officers’ vehicles, but instead they sit inside the building like in a stronghold during siege…”  
“There is a limitation to the flute’s magic!” Julia gasped.  
“This is my theory,” Loki nodded. “And the criminals probably know about it, this is why they are trying to bargain with the policemen. I can try to walk inside and take the flute away, but with me there will be exactly one hundred and thirty people. I might fall under the spell as well.”

Julia violently shook her head and delved into the pockets of her coat, cursing under her breath and searching for something.

“According to the legend, a deaf child did not follow the rat-catcher, because he could not hear the melody,” the girl breathed out and shook her phone and a pair of earphones in the air. “All we need is a good soundtrack.”

Loki winced. He released the policeman and watched Julia hastily sweep her finger over the touchscreen of the phone. The girl looked up at him and nervously licked her lips, and then reached out and adjusted the tiny earbuds in his ears. For a short moment her fingers brushed over his cheeks and neck, and Loki could barely hold a moan and fought an urge to lean into the girl's touch and to cover her little palms with his. Instead, he issued a stiff nod as the energetic brisk sounds of drums and the guitar filled his head.

“Norns, this music is so disgusting that I might throw up.” Loki grimaced at the girl, his voice loud as he tried to shout down the song.  
“You can throw up when you get the flute.” Julia lightly pushed him towards the half-open door of the van. “We have no more than three minutes left before they start killing hostages.”

Loki nodded and jumped out of the car. The girl clumsily followed him, watching the man adjust the earphones as he walked away.

“Please don’t get hurt,” Julia breathed out when the Asgardian stepped into the portal.

\----------

The bank smelled like fear. Loki peered into the main hall from behind a column, making notice of the two armed gunmen watching over the hostages sprawled on the floor. He had come to notice that Midgardian songs usually lasted no more than five minutes, those with an energetic rhythm - around three. Suchwise, he had exactly one song to fight down the criminals.

With his ability to hear temporarily taken away from him, Loki did not risk walking across the hall towards the armed men. Instead, he opened the portal and emerged behind the back of the first criminal. When his dagger cut the throat of the Midgardian, the second gunman yelled in terror. For him, the sudden death of his accomplice must have looked terrible, since he did not see what killed him - too bad that he would not live through the day to have nightmares about it.

The Asgardian let go of the dead criminal and as the body heavily fell on the floor, he raised a hand, aiming at the second offender. The gunman attempted to flee, but the sharp spikes of ice pierced through his body before he could reach the back door of the building. As the criminal collapsed on the floor, he convulsively pulled the trigger, and even through the deafening cacophony in the earphones Loki could hear the gunfire. He winced with displeasure and stepped over the motionless body, heading upstairs. Now the two remaining criminals knew that they had company - not that this knowledge could change their fate.

When Loki reached the turn of the stairs, he was greeted by a salvo of machine gun burst fire. The outlaws could not see him, but there was little chance that he would be able to approach them unharmed - due to a need to know what the destination point looks like his ability to open portals was completely useless in the unknown locations. The Asgardian clenched his teeth and darted upstairs, covering his head from the bullets and smithereens of the concrete wall. He felt a forceful punch into his side and heat instantly spreading through his abdomen, but did not slow down. The song in the earphones has already reached the chorus, and he did not have much time left.

Loki cringed behind a big pot with a palm. Only one out of the two criminals was shooting at him - the second outlaw was standing behind the back of his accomplice, playing a small wooden flute. The armed man fired into the empty passage one more time and shouted something - Loki noticed his lips move but could not make out a single word. And then, suddenly, all hostages slowly rose from the floor and stood on their knees, their eyes mindless and empty - around forty people altogether. Loki cursed under his breath and decisively rushed forward, realizing that if he doesn’t stop the magical melody from playing, something awful might happen. The gunman must have heard his steps, because the next burst of fire was shot exactly in his direction. Loki shielded himself with a spell and with grim pleasure watched the eyes of the criminal open wide with fear as he saw bullets bounce off an empty space.

At this moment, a tall blonde woman in her forties reached for the scissors at the nearby desk and stuck them into the neck of a bank clerk kneeling by her side. The man pressed a hand to his throat and gulped for air, and the blood trickling out of the open wound on his neck bubbled. A young red-haired girl grabbed a paper knife from the floor and with one fast smooth move slashed the face of an older woman to her left. Apparently, the criminals were not going to trouble themselves with killing the hostages - why would they, if the people would do it themselves, hypnotized by the magical melody?

Loki thrust out his right hand at the very moment when the gunman pulled the trigger. The criminal fell on the ground with a long spike of ice piercing through his heart, and the Asgardian snarled, watching the body of the outlaw cringe and tremble. And then Loki realized that he did not hear the deafening energetic melody anymore. Instead, a different sound filled his ears - a quiet and gentle one, soft as the breeze caressing the grass in the green fields of Asgard. He froze in his place and slowly stuck a hand into his pocket, feeling tiny shards of glass under his fingers. One of the bullets must have hit the girl’s phone in his pocket, but all of a sudden, it did not bother him at all. Loki closed his eyes, feeling the vibrations of the music and dissolving in the soothing sounds of the magical tune. The melody was promising him relief, the only thing he had to do was reach for a small paper knife which had fallen onto the blood-stained floor…

Loki squeezed the broken phone in his pocket, feeling the sharp pieces of glass cut the skin, and with one last effort darted forward across the hall filled with cries and moans of dying people. He grabbed the criminal and pushed him into the full-wall window, shattering the glass. The outlaw cried out in surprise and fear and helplessly waved his hands in the air, trying to hold on to something. The rain of tiny shards of glass poured onto the pavement, and then the body of the criminal heavily hit the ground. The mob screamed and pulled back, and the police officers slowly approached the motionless man. Nine or ten officers rushed towards the entrance to the buildings. From what Loki could say, no one but him noticed a small wooden flute fall onto the pebble stones.

Julia was nervously shifting on her feet as she stood on the bench behind the crowd and alertly watched the movement of shadows in the windows of the building. When the glass cracked and the criminal’s body fell on the ground, she could not hold a loud cry. The girl clumsily got off her lookout bench and darted forward with an intention to elbow her way to the police tape and make sure that it was not Loki who had hit the ground - and then, she felt someone hold her from behind by the belt of the coat. She sharply turned around.

“Thank God, you are fine!” Julia whined and locked a tight embrace around Loki’s neck. She pulled back at once and gasped in terror when she noticed a wet stain of blood on his side. “Oh, no… you are not fine!”  
“I am.” Loki countered. “There is no threat to my life.”  
“But you are wounded!” The girl cried out. “You need a doctor…”  
“I do not recall asking your opinion, ” the Asgardian snapped impatiently. “I told you that it is not serious. The healing powder will fix me without a problem.”

Julia clenched her hands together and nodded.

“What about the hostages?” She asked quietly.  
“Some of them might still be alive,” the Asgardian replied evasively, unwilling to take the girl through the horror he had witnessed. “Come on, let’s go. There is nothing else we can do.”

Loki pulled her away from the crowd, leaving behind the loud sirens of the police cars and the ambulance and absently realizing that there was not much left for the prophecy of Ragnarok - _his_ prophecy - to be fulfilled.

What would happen next? Would he willingly bring destruction upon the Nine Realms, like it has been foretold? It was highly unlikely. Loki did not consider himself to be a weak man who would break down and lose his mind over some stupid old legend turning real. Things got a little out of hand recently - both the prophecy and his personal matters, but it was not yet the end of the world. He just needed to sort everything out, and luckily, now he had the means to get at least one thing back to normal.

\----------

When Julia gathered enough courage to tell Loki that she intended to return to Warsaw by train, he did not object, only shrugged and offered to accompany her to the station. They walked in silence along a wide boulevard, the sound of their steps muted by fallen leaves, and the girl could not get rid of a suspicion that the Asgardian was up to something. He was way too calm and agreeable.

“The flute.” She stopped abruptly and grabbed his sleeve. Loki turned to her and cocked a brow.  
“What do you mean?” The look on his face was of sheer surprise. Julia frowned and stretched an open hand forward.  
“I mean that I think you took the flute.” The girl said. “I saw it fall on the pavement when you pushed the criminal out of the window, but it was gone before the policemen approached him. Magical artefacts do not vanish all of a sudden.”  
“Maybe they do?” The Asgardian shrugged and hid his hands in the pockets of the overcoat. “I do not recall you having much experience with magical artefacts, how can you know that?”  
“Just a guess. Give me the flute.”  
“Which flute?” He asked innocently.  
“The one you stole from the crime scene.” Julia snapped, losing her patience.  
“It never belonged to the police officers, why would you call my actions stealing?!” Loki countered with a grimace of false sorrow and offense on his face.  
“Because it never belonged to you either. Give it to me.”  
“No.” Loki huffed indifferently.  
“ _Now_ , Loki.”  
“No,” he smirked. Julia growled.  
“How can you be so childish?! Stop this right now and give me the flute! You already acknowledged that you took it, for God’s sake!”

The Asgardian rolled his eyes and pulled a tiny musical instrument out of the pocket. He playfully threw the flute up in the air, and Julia reached out for it, but before she could catch the object Loki's palm was firmly locked around it. The man held the flute between his index fingers, contemplating the girl with amusement. Julia growled, standing in front of him with her hand awkwardly stretched above her head.

“Loki, you cannot keep this flute.” She did her best to speak calmly. “It is too dangerous. You saw what it can do.”

 _Yes, he did_ \- and this was the reason why he intended to keep it. Fate suddenly gave him a chance to get the things back to how they used to be - and Loki intended to take that chance. The contract imposed restrictions on him, making it impossible to control the girl’s mind with his magic, but if he played the flute just once, he could make her forget all her anger and resentment, and she would look at him the way she used to. She would greet him with a happy smile, she would lock an embrace around his neck and lean into the kiss with passion and need, she would not jerk away from his touch like she did in a conference room a few days ago...

“Let us bargain,” Loki suggested peacefully. “I will hand you over this flute, if you answer one question. But your words must be truthful.”

Julia bit her lip. She had a bad feeling about this and she knew where it was going, but nevertheless, she decided to take her chances and reason with the Asgardian.

“Fine. One question.” She nodded and locked her hands behind her back. “Bring it on.”  
“Why do you keep saying no?” Loki asked, just like she expected him to. For a moment Julia considered playing stupid and pretending not to understand what he had in mind, but it would have been too pathetic. She took a deep breath.  
“Because I consider myself to be a decent girl, and the recent change in your status makes it impossible for me to feel fine about sleeping with you, no matter how wonderful the sex has been. Besides, I thought it over, and I have come to a conclusion that dating a co-worker is a very bad habit which leads to numerous problems, like the ones we are facing right now.” The girl recited and stretched out her hand. “Now, since I did what you wanted, be so kind and hand me over the fucking flute.”  
“I must confess that your response does not satisfy me.” Loki sighed and slightly rocked from heels to toes. “I would have been very willing to give you the flute, but a deal is a deal. I wanted an honest answer, but all I got was some plain nonsense I have already heard before. I keep it.”  
“Loki...” Julia hissed, fighting a strong desire to kick him.  
“What is it, sweet bird?” Loki crooned and cocked his head to a side.  
“Don't call me that.” The girl whispered with her head low.  
“Why not?!”  
“Because I… I don't want.” She did not look at him, and it was driving Loki crazy. “Because I do not feel comfortable about it. Is it so hard to listen to me just for once and do what I am asking?”  
“Apparently, it is,” the Asgardian folded his arms on the chest. “I recall asking you to talk to me about our… situation four or five times, and you kept refusing my pleas in the most obstinate manner.”  
“Because there is nothing to talk about! What you did was a dick move, and I am pissed. End of story! Did you really expect me to be fine with you getting yourself a bride and acting cool about it? Did you think I will go on sleeping with you?! Well, sorry for not keeping up with your expectations!” Julia was almost crying now, and from the abashed look on Loki's face she could clearly tell that he did not expect an emotional breakdown. She clenched her fists so tightly that she could feel her nails dig into the palms. “Shit, you are the biggest lying fuck-up that I have ever met, and you dare speak of honesty?! Do you even know what I am feeling right now, how much it hurts to be around you, you moron?! I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you, I… I swear I would have cut your head off if I could! If you have a problem coping with a breakup, you should have thought of the consequences before you acted like a fucking pig! I hope that now my answer is satisfactory, and you will leave me be!”

She sucked in a shaky breath, glaring at him with anger. Loki narrowed his eyes, and the overly-friendly mask cracked. A fake cordial smile faded and turned into a small wicked smirk, and his features sharpened.

“Who do you think you are to teach me what is right or wrong, to demand something from me?!” The Asgardian inquired coldly, his voice hoarse with emotions he was desperately trying to suppress. “You have forgotten your place, woman, and you have forgotten who I am. Do you think that I shall beg you for forgiveness? Do you expect me to kneel before you and tell you, how sorry I am for having hurt your feelings? You should be grateful for what I am offering you, and for one last time I suggest you think it all over and behave reasonably. No maiden dares to reject the King of Asgard.”  
“Really? Maybe it is time you get used to a new state of affairs.” Julia snapped, the angry blush on her cheeks so hot that the did not even feel the chilly autumn wind.  
“Oh, no, sweet bird, it is you who needs to be ready for changes.” Loki drawled. “You see, your little deal imposed some restrictions on me, and this musical instrument presents a perfect… workaround solution. I intend to keep it to make sure our future cooperation runs smoothly. From now on you will do what I want, and your consent matters little to me.”

If Loki had ever seen a man grovel before a maid like he did, he would probably laugh and pity the poor fool. He had been agreeable, he had been patient, he attempted to reason with the Midgardian, but all was in vain. Enough is enough. If the girl refused to comply with his desires willingly - so be it. Just like he had told her - her consent mattered little. Loki had never loathed himself so badly before - a pathetic weak creature, hoping for a magic trick to fix what he had broken with his own hands, ready to bend the girl’s will in order to create an illusion of happiness - and yet, he could not fight the urge to have Julia as his own, and he could not lie to himself anymore.

He loved her, like he had never loved any woman before, and the feeling was absorbing him. Loki was drowning in it like in a dark stormy sea, trembling and suffocating, and the need to make the girl understand was unbearable. He would have ripped his own heart out and thrown it at her feet, if only he knew that the maid would not push him away again - and for a moment he wondered, what Julia would do if he confessed to her. Would she be startled to learn the obvious thing which even a blind man could see by now? Would she be sad or joyful? What would she say to him?

Loki opened his eyes and met her angry glare, and could barely hold a laugh. He had his answer already. The maid would probably tell him to go fuck himself.

“Give me the flute right now.” Julia growled in a menacing tone. Despite Loki’s wish to take control over her it was not her own safety that she cared about at the moment. There was so much grim desperation in the man’s every gesture that the girl couldn’t help but feel worried for him. “Loki, come on, I won't ask you again. Whatever kind of sick shit you are up to, you know it won’t work. You will only get hurt, you idiot, don’t you get it?! The contract will burn you!”

For a longer moment they just stared at each other: both frustrated and exhausted by the torture of being torn within by desires, duty and principles. They had been trying so hard to be indifferent and professional, and yet they failed spectacularly. When Loki brought his face closer to hers, Julia swallowed, fighting an urge to step away. His eyes were glimmering as if he had fever.

“Fuck the contract.” The Asgardian breathed out, burning her lips with hot breath.

Julia bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, counting in her mind. On the count of three the fire entity watching over their deal woke up, and with a stifled groan Loki collapsed on his knees before her, trembling and cringing in pain.

Having suffered the consequences of breaking the rules just once, Julia would never forget the sensation of getting her skin peeled off and hot needles pierce through both the body and the brain. Seeing Loki being tortured with fire for his stubbornness and a desperate attempt to prove a point turned out to be almost as painful as going though the punishment herself. There was no chance the Asgardian could had forgotten about the penalty that awaited for him for an attempt to do her wrong, and yet he willingly did everything in his power to get punished, as if he was seeking pain, as if he had gone insane all of a sudden.

Maybe the whole world had gone insane and she failed to notice?!

The Asgardian looked up at the girl, his face pale and tears welled in the corners of the eyes. He slowly stretched out a hand and unclenched his fist, letting the flute out of his unruly fingers. It fell on the ground, and at once the torture was over. Loki slightly wobbled and sucked in a careful small breath.

“You broke the deal when you kept a magical bird, even though I objected and told you to get rid of it.” He growled and straightened his back. “It is not fair, why can’t I do the same?! I have come to believe that our contract was a partnership based on equality.”

Julia cautiously crouched before him and picked up the flute from the ground.

“Equality is an artificial concept,” She whispered and broke the tiny piece of wood in half, avoiding to look Loki in the eyes. “I thought you knew.”


	30. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear All,
> 
> I bet you thought that the limit of drama has been exceeded, but please do have some more ^.^  
> Mood swings, hostage situations, and consequences. We are responsible for every choice we make, and sometimes we learn it the hard way.
> 
> I was struggling to complete this chapter before I embark on a ten-hour flight back home from Korea. Next update will follow shortly (it definitely won't take me two and a half weeks to write!)  
> We are done with the whining, next chapter will be very action-packed. Brace yourselves, **The End Is Nigh**!

_Show to me the path I should take_  
_Show to me the choice I should make_  
_Show me direction._

_The Cranberries, Show Me_

\----------

The A75 highway was running straight between autumn fields with yellowish wet grass. The prison van was heading North from a _Maison d' Arrêt_ located not far away from the city of Montpellier, its destination being a high security Clairvaux Prison in northeastern France. When the first heavy drops of rain splashed over the front window, the police officer cursed under his breath and lifted his foot off the gas. The speedometer needle began its slow backward fall, and the van smoothly took a turn right, approaching the town of Saint-Saturnin.

The blinding white lightning struck so close to the vehicle that the ground slightly shook. The driver cried out in surprise and sharply turned the steering wheel, escaping before the deadly strand of pure energy falling from the sky. The car went off the road, breaking a low fence, and the second lightning hit it straight into the middle of the roof.

The police transportation van rolled down a steep slope. The driver sharply pulled the handbrake, but instead of making the heavy car stop he sent it into a spin. The back of the truck hit the tree, and the car turned onto its side, crushing into the thick bushes. The flames rose from out of nowhere and within a short moment the fire was licking the smashed bonnet of the van.

The shackles restraining the prisoner in the back opened by themselves.

With thick dark smoke making it hard to breathe and the deadly heat rising, one does not ponder over inexplicable events - and neither did the criminal. Freed of the restraints, the man kicked the half-open back door and scrambled out of the burning van, covering his mouth and nose with a sleeve from thick dark smoke.

The cries and death rattle of the two policemen trapped in the front seat soon faded as the flames rose. The escape convict disappeared in the thick forest.

\----------

It took Julia much effort not to vomit, even though it was not the first time she saw the images. The girl stared at the photos - both close-ups and zoom out pictures - and wished for what she was witnessing not to be true. It had been some time since herself and Loki had been after a creature so brutal and ruthless.

Four French women, all young and beautiful - slaughtered mercilessly, with their bellies and ribcages ripped open and the internal organs devoured - and Julia had a certain theory about the creature guilty of the massacre. All killings took place in the southern part of France; the department of Lozère and part of Haute-Loire which had formerly been part of the Gevaudan province.

Julia sat on the couch and Loki settled down on the armchair - the familiar placement of figures on the chessboard from the very start of their acquaintance - both quiet, business-like and concentrated on the research. They were studying the historical records related to the similar killings which had taken place in the region in the eighteenth century, when the whole French kingdom was trembling in terror with the Beast of Gevaudan.

Their target was an animal of unknown breed, which did not fit the description of any predator which could have inhabited the Southern part of France two hundred and fifty years ago. Historically, the beast had been pictured as a big wolf-like creature red in color, with its back streaked with black, round ears, and long sharp teeth filling the hungry maw. The hunt for the creature had lasted for three long years, with more than a hundred men, women and children butchered and thirty people badly injured before the attacks finally stopped. The researchers who believed in the existence of the mysterious monster claimed that in the end it was captured and killed, but apparently, they had all been wrong.

Loki put away the tablet and coughed, attracting the girl's attention.

“I have made myself familiar with these records and reports, but they still cause me doubts. How do you know it is the same animal?” He asked her.  
“All the historical records say that the beast used to have its own pattern of killings. It usually attacked lonely travelers, women and children, but mostly women because at that time young girls used to tend the sheep in the fields. Besides…” Julia pushed the pile of photos across the table towards Loki, “besides, all girls were killed in the same way as the victims from historic records. You see, the beast rips out the throat first, and then it... feeds.”

There was one point where they saw eye to eye: the man-slaughtering mysterious creature was nothing else but the embodiment of the legendary wolf Fenrir, one of Loki's terrible children. Julia quickly glanced at the top photo and felt dizzy. The faces of the victims were dreadful contorted death masks of pain: the women had been eaten alive. Their trip to France, the land of romance and the Eiffel tower, was going to be the least romantic possible. Red was not the color of love, but the color of blood and gore and the following milestone of the prophesy coming true.

The photos were disgusting, just like the thick sticky tension surrounding them with a hot humid cloud. After the awkward standoff in Berlin there was one more Wednesday when they saw each other, and Loki unexpectedly did exactly what Julia had been requesting of him the previous time: he arrived for a short moment and stiffly announced that since they had seen each other and the compulsory meeting took place, there was no need for him to linger. The girl had no other choice but to agree with his reasonable statement, even though her heart was bleeding and she wanted nothing else but for the Asgarian to do the exact opposite. However, despite her desperate wish for him to stay, she did not resort to offering him wine, beer, coffee or cough medicine - _literally_ anything to delay the moment of Loki's departure - she just said goodbye and spent the rest of the night crying for no good reason. With two weeks left till the first of November, the day when the Realms move closer to each other and God only knows what happens next, Julia had come to notice that she egoistically cared more about the fact that soon she might never see Loki again, than the potential death of all living beings in the Universe. The girl realized that she needed to set her priorities straight, and yet she could do nothing about it.

Julia did not have many days left from her yearly paid time-off, but seriously - who would be planning a vacation when soon the legions of the dead would march across the Nine Realms?! Following this line of reasoning, she took all what was left, intending to visit her family after they dispose of the French beast once and for all.

They arrived at a small town of Langogne around three in the afternoon. The French Occitanie was indeed a charming region - barely touched by the cool breath of autumn, with trees still covered in bushy golden leaves, and only a little bit of rain.

Even though the three thousand inhabitants of the small town had heard of the dreadful events happening in the region, the atmosphere was rather relaxed and peaceful than strained. Tourists and hikers of all ages were strolling along the narrow streets, taking pictures of the old quaint houses with red tile covering the roofs, relaxing in small brasseries. On the way to the hotel Julia made notice of a majestic Romanesque church and a big busy square filled with marquees of a traditional farming market, definitely worth visiting.

The main target group of local hotel owners were campers and elderly couples willing to savour the peace and quiet in small remote inns and pensions, therefore the offer of hotels with the level of accommodation which Loki would find satisfactory was limited to one. Julia followed the Asgardian through the gates of an elegant eighteenth-century chateau surrounded by a neat park. The former residence of some French noble family was now a rather refined hotel with free WiFi.

The Asgardian held the heavy door for her and headed straight towards the smiling receptionist behind a polished counter of dark wood. With him around, there was no need for advance booking, but Julia did not feel comfortable about it anymore.

“Loki, wait,” she called for him, nervously clutching the handle of her big travel bag. “I… I want to pay for the room myself, if you don’t mind.”

The Asgardian turned to her with a puzzled look on his face. He blinked, processing her request, and then a displeased grimace sharpened his features. The girl bravely held his angry glare for almost a minute, and awkward silence lasted.

“Of course, I do mind. Why would you want to do it?”

Julia sighed.

“Because I am not fine with you paying for my stay in an expensive hotel.” She explained quietly, noticing the receptionist watch them with interest from a distance. “There is no reason for you to do it, and I do not want to owe you for this… sponsorship...”  
“Owe me? Please be reminded that we have made an agreement and I suggest you respect it.” Loki spat out coldly.  
“I know, but…”  
“Should I return you the coffee-making device?” He interrupted her.

Julia hung her head low. Memories of the moment when the Asgardian had requested her to waive her rights to the coffee-machine in exchange for being responsible for their accommodation almost made her burst to tears. Actually, there were little things left which did not make her want to cry these days...

“No.” She whispered, staring at his black tall leather boots. “It is yours, please keep it.”  
“Or maybe you are afraid that I shall demand from you some kind of alternative payment?” Loki hissed mockingly. Julia felt a tide of hot blush sweep over her cheeks and energetically shook her head. “Good. Thence, I assume that this pointless discussion is over.”

Loki’s boots headed towards the reception desk. Julia dug the nails into her palms, hoping that a little bit of physical pain would make the emotional suffering recede.

“Main lobby, half an hour.” The Asgardian pushed a keycard into her hand and headed towards a wide staircase leading upstairs.

\----------

Apparently, there was a sudden change of plans, because in less than five minutes Julia heard a short impatient knock on the door.

“I have been thinking over the killings, and I have come to notice one thing.” Loki declared and came in. The Asgardian caught Julia by the sleeve as he walked past her, and the girl felt her socks slide on the polished floor as he pulled her back into the room. She crossed her arms on the chest, watching him pace in an agitated manner. “It is so obvious that I wonder how come I haven't realized it before. All these women are red-haired. We need to lure the beast, and I think I know how.”  
“How?” Julia asked with suspicion.

Loki shortly motioned his hand, pointing at a mirror, and the girl gasped with understanding.

“Oh, no!” She squealed and sharply turned around to face the looking glass. “Oh no, you didn’t just…”

She looked as if someone had set her head on fire. Indeed, all victims had hair of either copper or rich auburn color - but hers could be best defined as a mad fox or flaming carrot. With a sigh of disbelief Julia raised her hands and brushed the fingers through the bright ginger mess. Loki grinned at her widely, obviously proud of his seemingly brilliant idea.

“What the hell?!” the girl wailed and gave the man a helpless look. “Why would you do this to me?”  
“Just like I said, we need to lure the beast, and there is no better way than to give the monster what he craves.” He chuckled. “Breathe, or you might explode.”

Julia took a slow deep breath, and Loki smirked.

“Now you resemble one of the fire giants who arrived yesterday to Asgard on a diplomatic mission. Just a very tiny one,” he mused, studying her. “I think this color reflects your character well.”  
“I… I don’t care what you think!” Julia snapped at him. “Turn me back to normal. I am not going around with red hair! I hate red hair!”  
“You will get used to it.” The Asgardian shrugged, clearly enjoying her distress. “I do not feel like changing anything.”  
“You know what?! You go fuck a horse!” Julia hissed and pushed him in the chest with her index finger. “You are supposed to ensure my safety, not use me as bait! I don't want to walk around with a target on my back!”  
“Back?” Loki seemed confused.  
“Back, head - whatever, there is little difference!” Julia cried out emotionally. “ Change me back to normal right now. I am scared of this beast, too. I am not doing it.”  
“You have a better idea?” Loki went from cheery to dead serious in a glimpse of an eye. “Women with red hair are a rather rare thing here, especially with such bright shade of ginger. The creature will notice you, I am sure of this, but there is no need for you to be afraid. Do not forget that I am obliged to watch over you and preserve your safety, and I intend to do so. We can try to lure the beast, or we can wait until one more maiden is dead. Your choice.”  
“If you put it like this, I feel like I have no choice at all.” Julia sighed and bit her lip. “Fine, what is the plan?”

Loki rocked from heels to toes a couple of times.

“There is no plan yet,” he confessed. “Normally, when I go hunting in Asgard I have a horse and a pack of greyhounds to chase the animal… Let us take a quick stroll around this town, shall we? I will think of something in the meantime.”

Julia nodded and reached for the coat. They left the hotel and headed up the wide and rather crowded street.

“Don't say a word. I told you, I am not going to walk around with this mess on my head.” The girl warned the Asgardian and pushed the last unruly lock of ginger hair under the soft woolen cap. “As you said for yourself, right now we are going on a _stroll_ , not a hunt.”  
“I might be repeating myself, but I think this color suits you well.” Loki replied with a shrug.  
“And I think that you have no taste.” Julia countered with a sigh.

The man smirked at her wickedly and opened his mouth, but then his smile faded, and he said nothing.

They first walked by each other’s side in complete silence, then Julia glanced at Loki and noticed him quickly look away. An unwanted smile pinched the corners of her lips. It suddenly felt like an awkward first date, when two teenagers do not dare to speak to each other because there is too much to say, and one never knows if the truthful words would not cause laughter.

“So,” she started bravely after almost an hour of fast march and exchanging looks. “Got any ingenious plan you would like to share with me?”  
“I am working on it,” Loki grumbled with slight irritation. “The hunting grounds of the creature are very vast - all the victims had been found in entirely different places. I am wondering, what kind of an animal would cover a distance of almost two hundred kilometers in search of the next prey.”  
“And I am wondering, how would changing my hair color help you,” the girl twirled a lock of ginger hair around her finger. “Oh, I know! I will run around the forest singing and picking up flowers, like a Disney princess, until the big bad wolf comes to get me.”  
“Princesses do not run around the forest, you know. Female royal offspring rarely leaves the confines of the palace without entourage.” Loki explained. “Besides, where is Disney? I do not recall a kingdom with such name from Midgardian historic records.”  
“It is not a kingdom...” Julia giggled. “It is like a... Valhalla for little children, where everyone sings and dances and lives happily ever after. An entirely fictional place.”  
“Valhalla is not fictional,” Loki said strictly, and the girl suddenly realized, how much she still did not know about him yet. Do Norse Gods believe in Gods? Do Norse Gods read bedtime stories to their children? Do Norse Gods like the smell of the forest after a rain? Apparently, she would never know. The dreadful feeling of the approaching inevitable end made Julia lose her breath for a moment.

It took the girl six or seven steps to notice, that Loki was not following her. She turned around and saw him by a big window of a pastry shop, studying the contents of a transparent showcase with interest.

“This one’s got some awesome reviews on Tripadvisor. They sell chocolate in every state of matter.” Julia came closer and stood by his side. “Confections, mostly pralines, drinking chocolate - and I do not mean hot cocoa but real melted chocolate bars with a little milk added, ice cream, cakes of all sorts…”

Loki bit the inside of his cheek and shifted on his feet, listening to the girl speak.

“Would you like to come inside for a moment?” He suddenly asked her with a small, slightly shy smile.

Unexpectedly for herself, Julia smiled back at him. The clock was ticking, she could feel every following second pass and bring closer the moment when she would never see Loki again, and the very thought of it was resulting in a wave of cold pain shooting through her heart. Julia felt like a mess of contradictory thoughts, longings and emotions. _Carpe diem_ had never seemed like a very appealing idea to her, because she believed herself to be a reasonable adult and a decent young lady, but if she had gotten a chance to turn the time back, the girl would probably forget all her pride and principles for the sake of being by Loki’s side. Maybe it was a good thing after all, that time could not be reversed, but still, there was one last moment they could spend together - and Julia wanted it to be pleasant and peaceful. Loki seemed to share her approach, because he was exceptionally agreeable despite their recent quarrel over paying for the hotel rooms.

“Tomorrow morning, instead of breakfast? My treat.” The girl suggested against her own better judgement. The words rolled off her tongue before she could think. “Unlike you, if I eat desserts in the evening I will get fat in no time.”  
“I know just the way to solve your problem.” Loki advised her with an overly-serious look on his face. Julia sighed and braced herself for an indecent joke and maybe a proposition to help her burn some calories that she would obviously decline. “You should try sword fighting. Three hours a day would be enough.”  
‘Maybe not,” Julia giggled, slightly surprised. “I am a corporate employee, remember? My weapon of choice is the keyboard.”  
“I thought it was a heavy bottle of whiskey.” Loki drawled, watching her with the corner of his eye. He was wondering if the girl could sense it, too - the relentless flow of time, bringing them closer to the moment when everything will end. They both spoke and moved very cautiously, unwilling to ruin the sudden fragile peaceful moment, a chance to savour each other’s presence for one more day, hour and minute before they would never see each other again.

The setting sun threw bright orange beams on the maze of narrow streets, sharpening the shadows, and with a sigh Julia pulled a cap off her head, letting the insanely ginger hair fall on her shoulders. The girl noticed a quick cheerful glance Loki gave her, and took a step to a side, nudging his side with her elbow with a well-measured movement.

“I am still very angry with you for this.” She reminded him with a wide grin.  
“Of course you are,” the Asgardian nodded and stood at attention by the gates leading into the garden surrounding the hotel. With a low theatrical bow he let Julia pass. “Be sure that your rage makes me tremble in fear. You see, at the luncheon we held upon the arrival of the ambassadors I witnessed Surtr, the ruler of the fire giants, get angry with one of his attendants. The poor diplomat got burned alive right where he was, only ashes left. Who knows if the same fate shall not meet me?!”

Both were so focused on each other and on maintaining the fragile peace that none of them made notice of a stranger watching them from a distance.

Loki and Julia nodded at the receptionist and headed upstairs for the night. The girl unlocked her door and turned to the Asgardian.

“See you tomorrow morning?” She asked, her voice suddenly shaky. “Nine A.M., in the lobby?”  
“See you tomorrow.” Loki replied quietly. “Have a lovely night, Julia.”

The girl shut the door behind her back and slid down on the floor with her back pressed to the polished wooden planks. She was a mess, and everything was a mess. Julia knew that she would cry again before sleep just like the day before, cry and pleasure herself, and bite into her palm to stifle a cry when she would climax with Loki’s name on her lips. She only hoped that the Asgardian would not hear her through the wall separating their rooms.

If Julia had been a movie heroine, she would never rely on tomorrow, because everybody knows that tomorrow doesn’t exist in melodramas and action films: buildings collapse, trains go off the rails, and the loved ones say goodbye never to meet again.

Good that it did not concern her.

Night fell upon the small town. Loki was irky and bored: he paced the room and switched through the available TV channels, all shows equally dull and pathetic. Two dozen days ago he wouldn't have had a problem with finding himself an enjoyable pastime - equally pleasurable for him as it would have been for Julia - but much had changed since she had learned about his engagement. For a moment Loki studied the small minibar with Midgardian alcohol, considering trying the contents of each and every small bottle, but then he froze. A quiet muted moan came from behind the wall, and the Asgardian felt a tide of heat rise within him.

The sound was not meant for his ears, but it only made it more arousing and hypnotizing. Loki imagined Julia arch her back while her small fingers would slide between her wet folds, into the heat of her throbbing core. He growled and pressed his forehead to the wall separating his room from Julia's, grasping his hardened manhood through the fabric of the pants and listening to the girl’s quiet panting and whimpers.

Loki had never seen Julia touch herself, and he knew that the vision of her would haunt him during the night. He would dream of the girl, with her eyes half-open and dimmed with desire, settled on his wide bed, or on his desk while he worked. He would not mind such a distraction, of only she would let him watch her, and he would not interfere - unless she would ask him to.

Arousal was so strong that it made his head spin, but then a single unwanted thought flashed through his mind, and Loki fought an urge to crush his fist into the wall. He could never know who was haunting the maid's fantasies, who was the man she imagined when she tossed on the bed in sweet agony, and the need to learn this suddenly grew overwhelmingly strong within him. It has not been long since the day when Julia had decided to put an end to their affair, but the Midgardians perceived the time differently. What if she had already found herself a lover? What if it was a Midgardian man? Julia was lovely, witty and strong-willed, and no matter how much Loki had tried to insult her and make her feel miserable, deep down he kept asking himself why the maiden had been lonely since the day they met. In Asgard a woman like her would have many wooers.

The girl came, and Loki shuddered when he realized that her low guttural moan was his name. He could take it no more. The Asgardian damned the thin walls and rushed towards the bathroom, intending to calm his body and mind under the ice cold shower, but he ended up pleasuring himself fiercely, over and over again, and every time he closed his eyes he could see Julia, her forehead wet and skin heated and fingers crumpling the bedsheets as she climaxed thinking of him.

It took him some time before he walked out of the bathroom with a big soft towel wrapped around his waist. Loki dimmed the ceiling lights and lowered himself on the bed, burying his face in the palms. For a short moment he considered casting a calming spell upon himself in order to ensure a dreamless sleep, but one of the side effects was absence of mind the next day, and he needed a clear head.

With his eyes closed, all sounds became a little sharper. Loki huffed with surprise when he realized that the girl in the room next to him was not sleeping yet, but then it came to him that what he was hearing were no more moans of pleasure, but quiet sobs. Julia was crying, and it was also because of him.

\----------

She was late. At five past nine Loki thought that he heard Julia’s steps on the stairs, but it was only a young hotel maiden. At twelve past nine he got up from the couch and contemplated the beautiful, yet slightly gloomy park surrounding the hotel. At quarter past nine the Asgardian flopped back onto the soft cushions and took a fresh newspaper from a low table by his side. The text was in French, and for a couple more minutes Loki stubbornly stared at the black-and-white pages, losing the remains of patience.

At nine thirty sharp Loki angrily folded the newspaper and left the hotel lobby. The man marched upstairs, heading towards Julia's room. He considered himself to be tolerant to her faults - sometimes _too_ tolerant, but crying for the whole night was not an excuse good enough to be half an hour late, since they had made an arrangement. The girl deserved to be punished for her negligent and disrespectful attitude. Splashing ice cold water all over her bed seemed like an adequate way to rouse her, and when she wakes up screaming and shaking with cold, he would tell the maid that he had heard her pleasure herself the night before, and watch her stutter and blush with embarrassment.

Loki lingered for a moment, but then decisively tapped his fingers over the lock, opening the door with his magic. His vexation doubled when he saw that the room was empty. The girl’s purse was on the nightstand and a nice dress with flower pattern lay on the neatly made bed, prepared for later. Her phone and sneakers were missing, though, and the Asgardian had already learned Julia’s habits well to deduce that she had gone for a morning run, or to take pictures of the old church she had been eying with such admiration the day before. This was even more insolent than oversleeping.

Loki hid the girl's purse into his pocket and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind his back. Let her panic and look for it when she returns.

If he had not been so wound up and irky, he would have probably started to worry the very moment when he walked into the empty hotel room. But instead, Loki angrily marched through the tiny town, scaring slow tourists away from his way, and stopped for a longer while on a bridge to watch the flow of a sleepy river below.

The fact that for some reason Julia had decided to disregard their arrangements hurt him more that he would want to acknowledge, and the worst thing was that Loki could barely think of a reason why she had decided to do it. He could not recall having offended the maiden with any word or gesture, and when they had both deceased for the night, she seemed to be equally interested in their small gastronomic revelry. Maybe she had given it all a second thought and came to a resolution that their appointment resembled a _date_ too much, because it did, but still, it was not an excuse good enough to disappear without a word...

 _Women_.

He walked by the windows of one of the brasseries and pondered over taking a large cappuccino to go and not paying for it - but Julia was not around to be upset with Loki being himself, and he changed his mind. The Asgardian was about to push the door open and place an order like a decent customer, when the TV screen attracted his attention. He stopped with his fingers on the brass door handle, watching the news presenter through the coffee shop window. Without a doubt, something bad had happened - the maiden had clearly been trained to look joyful and serene, but she had a small nervous frown on her forehead, and her wide smile seemed a little too fake. A big photo of a stranger man occupied most of the screen.

Without looking away from the TV screen, Loki grabbed by the collar a passer-by who looked like he would speak English - a tall man dressed in a pale beige coat and glasses. The Midgardian yelped and let go of his paper cup. Loki pointed at the TV through the glass window.

“What has happened?”  
“Get your hands off me…” The passer-by angrily tore his coat out of Loki's fingers. “What are you, on drugs?!”

Loki growled and forcefully shook the man in the air, letting the Midgardian understand that the only thing he wanted to hear at the moment was a quick reference of a TV programme.

“Fine, a prisoner… a prisoner escaped during transportation! There was a car crash, both officers had burned alive, but the criminal was in the back and survived.” The man quickly referred in a shaky voice, looking at Loki down up. “He has been all over the news for the last few days. Will y-you please let me go?”

Loki glanced at the flat screen. The escape convict did not seem dangerous at first sight, but there was a barely noticeable insane glimmer in his eyes.

“Why was he convicted?” The Asgardian inquired impatiently. He could not tell why it was all of a sudden so important for him to know, but anxiety would not leave him. Loki clenched his hands tighter on the elegant coat of the Midgardian, and the terrified man whimpered. “What was his deed? Speak!”  
“It is easier to tell what was not! He is the most famous criminal France had ever known, this man has committed so many crimes that the trials had been going for more than a year… The court had trouble deciding whether to put him into the asylum, or the high security prison.” The terrified man pattered nervously, his feet dangling above the ground. “He used to have his own gang before he was put behind the bars - they did regular stuff like looting and extortion - but the guy is not famous for simple robberies. You see, he is a serial killer, he has massacred more than sixty women, sometimes the papers called him “French Jack the Ripper”, he had been killing redheads all over France for almost five years before he finally got caught…”

Loki unclenched his grip, and the Midgardian clumsily landed on his feet. The man darted down the street - he looked over the shoulder a couple of times, probably considering calling for the city guards, but Loki did not care. He mindlessly stared at the TV screen, and it was getting hard to breathe. He had not yet tried to reach out for the girl, but now he suddenly was scared to do it - because with the insane serial killer on the loose, there was a chance that she would not respond, that something very bad had happened to her, that it was already too late…

_“Julia?”_

At first there was silence and darkness, but then Loki sensed the girl’s presence.

 _“Loki?! Oh my God, Loki…”_ Julia’s see-through shadow was so pale it looked like a ghost, the contrasting flaming red hair making her face look even more white - but she was alive. The man breathed out with relief.  
_“What happened to you? Where are you?!”_  
_“Loki, I don't know… I went for a run, then someone hit me on the head. I woke up in the back of a moving truck. We are in the woods somewhere, there is an abandoned building with a basement.”_

The spell had not burnt him, since the danger upon the girl was not of magical origin - but for the first time Loki craved punishment. He would have blessed the terrible burning pain if it had pierced him the moment Julia was abducted, he would have thanked the Norns for a warning, for a chance to save her on time.

 _“Are you alone?”_  
_“No, there is one more girl here with me. She says there had been two more before, but they are… already gone. It is not a wolf, Loki… It is a man.”_ Her voice cracked. _“There is no Beast of Gevaudan, it is him… He eats people alive!”_

The spell which he had used to alter Julia's appearance served its purpose well, but never before had Loki desired so much to reverse the time and undo the one careless deed. Irresponsible fool, he has singlehandedly brought great danger upon the woman he loved most.

He had to do something, but he had no idea where to start, and he could barely recall the last time he had felt so helpless.

\----------

 _“Keep talking to me.”_ Loki urged softly. He nervously pushed the power button of the car radio, silencing the brisk melody, but the driver by his side did not seem to mind. The girl had been silent for the whole minute - it was way too long. _“Are you there?”_  
_“I am here, I am... still alive,”_ Julia breathed out.

Since the girl was awake, Loki could sense her, but the ability to open portals was of no use to him when he did know what the destination point looked like. What he knew, though, was that he had to head North, and he had to get to the girl fast. It felt like a children’s game of “hot and cold”, but with the highest stakes possible.

 _“Is this man alone?”_ Not that it mattered, he would have slaughtered a thousand men, but Loki needed to hear her voice.  
_“No, there are six or seven of them here. I think it is some kind of a gang. Loki, they are armed…”_  
_“So am I. Why haven't you called for me at once?!”_ He asked her with desperation, trying not to think of what might happen if he is a moment late. Julia's shadow in his head whimpered and hid her face in the palms.  
_“I...I don't know!”_ The girl cried out. _“I woke up and I was so scared, I couldn't think of anything... Loki, he will kill me!”_  
_“He will not, sweet bird. I promise, I will get to you soon.”_ He turned to the man by his side. “Drive faster, and turn right.”

The designated driver nodded, his icy-blue eyes focused on the road in front of him, and pushed the gas pedal. They had probably broken all possible traffic regulation, but Loki cared little.

The Jeep took a turn at full speed and headed along the dirt road, raising splashes of muddy water from the puddles. The car sharply stopped at a clearing near a deserted low building, probably an abandoned farming storehouse for crops.

“Leave.” Loki ordered and jumped out of the car, making notice of a minivan parked in the bushes.

The Asgardian kicked the heavy door open. Three men turned to him, but none was fast enough to reach for the gun. He did not even slow down, just trod forward, and rime was covering the floor beneath his feet. Loki felt no fear for his own life, only cold fury and the desire to punish the reckless fools who had dared to take away what he valued most. No spell was necessary - a wave of pure magic swept through the premise, and the criminals died, pierced by myriads of sharp ice spikes. Loki stepped over one of the motionless bodies on the floor and looked back. The door closed by itself under his gaze, and the heavy bolt moved, locking the shack from inside. No one was going to leave this place alive, but him and the girl.

He turned around to see two gunmen pointing the firearms at him.

“Don't you fucking move,” a low voice said, and one more criminal emerged from the dark passage leading into the basement.

Unlike before, Loki understood every single word the French man had spoken. It could only mean one thing: the Tenth Realm has moved one tiny bit closer to the cosmic system of the Nine Realms where every Asgardian possessed the ability to speak the All-Tongue. The day of the Convergence was closer with every second, which was bad. What was even worse, the criminal was firmly holding Julia in front of him like a human shield.

The girl was slightly trembling, her clothes was dirty and cheeks streaked with tears, but she was alive and seemingly unharmed. The man in front of Loki was the serial killer from the news broadcast, and he had a pistol in his hand, the weapon firmly pressed to Julia's neck. The escape convict glanced at the bodies of his three dead gang members, then he studied Loki for a longer moment. The man was obviously confused by the sight of the criminals pinned to the floor by sharp spikes of ice, but he did not step back.

“You're not a cop.” The criminal stated a rather obvious thing. His dark eyes reflected the blue shimmer of Loki's magic.  
“No, not a cop,” Loki slowly lowered his hands, making notice of the intense and terrified gazes of the criminals following his every move. “I am much worse.”  
“One of those superhero freaks, like in the movies?” The man snarled at him. “I bet you are not bulletproof.”  
“None of us is.” Loki copied his snarl, frantically thinking what to do. He slightly shifted on his feet and at once noticed the gunman to the right clutch the firearm tighter. A single sharp move could cause the criminals to panic. He could try to open the portal behind the back of their leader and pull Julia out of his hands, but if the shooting starts, the girl might die, and he could not risk her life.  
“The fuck you want?” The maniac grunted at him.  
“I have come to take back what is mine.” Loki replied.

The convict cocked a brow and slightly squeezed Julia's throat. The girl gasped, trying to catch a breath, and the Asgardian clenched his jaw at the sight of her struggling for air.

“This bitch, you mean?” The criminal said triumphantly. Loki did not move or say anything, but something in his posture must have given his anguish away, because the outlaw seemed more relaxed now. “If you move, she dies.”  
“If she dies, I kill you all.” Loki replied emotionlessly, as if he was not speaking of taking the lives of six men but discussing the weather. “You are still alive only because she is.”

The escape convict could have been insane, but he was no fool. The dead bodies of his gang members on the floor were a powerful argument.

“What is the deal?”

Loki did his best not to look too relieved.

“I shall let you leave. I shall not pursue you, now or ever again, and I shall not assist the policemen if they try to catch and restrain you.” He said solemnly. “All I want in return is the girl, alive and unharmed.”

The criminal narrowed his eyes.

“How do I know you won't just slaughter us all the moment she’s free?” He pressed the gun tighter to Julia’s throat, watching Loki closely.  
“You will have to trust my word,” He replied. “What other choice do you have? You are no fool, you must understand that I can kill you all easily, and your gunmen shall do me no harm. I am not the man you would want to have as enemy. Leave this woman alone, find yourself a new… prey, and we shall never cross paths again.”

It had been the longest minute in his life, but then the criminal slowly nodded. He took a step to a side, and so did Loki. They both moved cautiously around the room, changing places, until the outlaw was by the door leading outside and the Asgardian was in the corner. The other criminals with their guns at the ready waited for the maneuver to come to an end. Then the maniac pushed Julia towards Loki and darted out of the building. The girl yelped and clumsily waved her hands in the air, but Loki caught her before she would fall headlong onto the dirty floor. Julia convulsively grasped his coat, and Loki shielded the two of them with a spell before the armed outlaws would come to senses and fire at them. The gunmen pulled back at the sight of a shining see-through veil which appeared out of nowhere and divided the premise into two parts.

“Flee while you can,” Loki growled at them, and the men obeyed. One after another, they hastily left the building, and the last one slammed the heavy metal door closed. In a moment, Loki heard the van of the criminals starting outside.

Everything was over.

Loki felt Julia reel slightly in his arms, and carefully helped her lower herself on the floor. The girl did not say a single word, her gaze defocused and empty and her whole body trembling.

“Julia?” He crouched before her.  
“He killed all these women, he ate them alive.” She whispered blankly. “When they brought me here, there was only one girl left. I think she has… _had_ a five year old daughter, but I did not understand much of what she said, she was mostly crying. Then he dragged her out, and I heard her scream.”

Julia hugged her knees, swaying from side to side and swallowing down the tears. Loki gently squeezed her shoulders, forcing her to be still.

“What did they do to you?” He asked her sharply, feeling a cold iron band squeeze around his chest at the very thought of someone causing the girl harm, beating her and raping her. If any of these men had touched her, he would follow them across all the Nine Realms and make sure their death is slow and terrible, and then he would find a way to revive them - only to make them suffer again. “Tell me. Did they hurt you?”

Julia shook her head.

“No… I am fine, I really am,” she uttered with effort.

He could breathe again. Scaring and abducting her seemed like a reason good enough for the outlaws to die, and Loki would not hesitate to break his promise and chase down the criminals, but he also knew that leaving the girl alone now was not an option. He placed his palm on the back of Julia's head and noticed her grimace slightly.

“You said they hit you on the head. We need to visit the healers to know how bad it is.” The man said softly, but the girl squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.  
“I want to go home,” her lips moved soundlessly. Loki hesitated for a moment, but Julia did not seem to have sustained a serious injury, and even though he was not very skilled in healing magic, he was able to fix her by himself.  
“Fine, I will take you to your dwelling, then.”  
“No! Wait, no! Loki… they got away!” The girl jerked when Loki attempted to pick her up, snapping out from post-shock numbness. “You let the criminals go! You let _Fenrir_ get away!”  
“I know.” He replied calmly.  
“What now?” Julia held onto his forearm and tried to stand up, but her knees were too shaky. “Loki, you do not understand! It is the prophecy! You can't let them escape, you must do something!  
“No. The only thing I must do is take you home.“ He replied firmly and carefully cradled the girl in his arms. “Hold on to me, sweet bird.”  
“But, Loki…”  
“Shush.”

Julia whimpered and buried her face against his chest. She was not part of the Ragnarok prophecy - and yet, she has played her grim role. In the end, although Loki was definitely guilty for the way the events had gone, it was not entirely because of him that the criminal had escaped, it was also because of _her_.

\----------

The October midday was cold and gloomy when Loki made the front door of Julia’s house open. The man walked inside and headed upstairs, towards the bedroom. He lowered the girl on the bed and sat down by her side. Julia did not say a single word since they had left the hovel in the woods - and Loki wished that she would swear at him, call him a bastard, blame him for what had happened, hit him - give him what he deserved, but she did not do it.

“Julia…” His own voice was an unfamiliar sound when he finally dared to speak. “I deeply regret what has happened.”

The girl whimpered and reached out to him, and Loki closed an embrace around her.

“I am sorry.” He whispered and stroked her hair, and the messy ginger locks changed color back to normal under his touch. The man’s fingertips glimmered when he cast a simple healing spell upon the girl. “Please, forgive me! Please, say something, anything…”  
“Don’t be sorry,” Julia breathed out against his neck. “You warned me that it ain’t gonna be rainbows and flowers, right? I knew what I was doing...”  
“No.” Loki cupped the girl’s face and urged her to look up. “I brought this upon you, it was my negligence and my fault. Tell me, what can I do to make this right? Do you want me to kill these men? Say it, and I will…”  
“Loki, these men,” Julia caught his hand in hers, grasping it tightly and digging her nails into his palm, still too shocked to notice that they could speak the same language now. “My God, why would you let them go?! Do you even understand that the prophecy…”  
“To Hel with the prophecy,” Loki uttered firmly, stroking her cheek, and he really meant what he had just said.

The girl drew a shaky breath, surprised by his words as much as he was himself - and suddenly pulled him closer, crumpling his tunic in her fingers. She eagerly pressed her lips to his in a desperate wish for a miracle before the inevitable dreadful end, and the world exploded. They had kissed with passion and need before, but this time it was different, and Loki squeezed his eyes shut, drowning in the bizarre, pure sensation rising within him like a mighty hot tide. From the very beginning there was no chance it all would end well - no chance _they_ could end well, but reason sleeps when the heart speaks, and his heart was crying. Norns see how much he wished that they had met under different circumstances - although he knew all too well that there could be no different circumstances. The chances of them crossing path had been close to impossible from the very beginning. If another child had been stolen on Christmas Eve, if Julia had missed him by a minute, if she had not decided to trade her own life and safety for the lives of others, they wouldn’t be kissing in her bedroom with fervent desire.

They both probably looked insane, their hair messy and clothes wet and stained. Loki growled into Julia’s lips and pressed her to his chest, wishing for nothing else but to hold her in his arms and feel her heart beat close to his. The girl looked up at him, and he saw streaks of tears run down her cheeks. And then, she started to push him away.

“No, please,” he breathed out pleadingly, combing shaky fingers through Julia's hair. The whole world collapsed to the size of a neat bedroom in a tiny Midgardian house, and Loki could not tell what he was begging her for: not to cry, or not to push him away, or to help him fix everything.  
“Please, let me go.” She said quietly, yet decisively. “I can’t… we can’t do this. We shouldn't.”  
“Why?” Loki asked, his voice caught in the throat. “If not this, tell me, what is it that you want?”

Julia pulled back from him as if he had said something terrible, her eyes suddenly big and full of fear.

“Loki, I…”  
“What is it that you want from me, Julia?” The Asgardian repeated firmly and angrily. He caught her chin in his fingers, forcing the girl to look him in the eyes. She tried to turn away, but he did not let her. “Say it!”  
“Please, let me go and just leave!” Julia yelped, staring at him with terror - and even at criminal’s gunpoint she did not seem so scared. “I don’t know what you are talking about!”  
“Yes, you do!” Loki growled impatiently. “Enough of this. Stop running away from me and from yourself! Please, help me fix everything. I don’t know what to do anymore, I don’t know if I can do anything at all... I shall follow your every word, just tell me what you want from me!”  
“ _I! Don't! Know!_ ” Julia cried out and slammed her fists on his chest, not trying to hold the sobs anymore. “Stop this! Stop asking me for guidance, stop tormenting me, stop making things worse! Please, just go away, get out of my life! Why can’t you just end this once and for all and leave me be?! Everything’s a mess, my life is a mess, and I don’t know what to do, either! It hurts me to see you around so much that I can barely breathe! What is the point in asking me what I want if it won't change anything?! What is the point to want something, if it will never come true?!”

\----------

Loki took a sip of burning bitter liquid straight out of the bottle and tilted his head back, looking at his companion from under the eyelashes. With his eyesight slightly blurred with tiredness and alcohol, the girl in front of him seemed almost real.

Loki sucked in a breath and opened his mouth. He was not crazy yet, although he probably looked insane - getting drunk in a dark abandoned throne hall and talking to an illusion - but he just wondered, what these words might sound like when they roll off his tongue.

“Julia,” Loki breathed out and licked his lips. The silvery phantom gave him an encouraging smile and slightly leaned forward. “Julia, I lo…”  
“Brother?”

The man put down the bottle and hastily waved his hand in the air, causing the see-through illusion to dissolve. The approaching heavy steps were getting louder, and then Thor peeked inside the hall. For a short moment Loki considered throwing a heavy glass vessel at the door.

“What do you want?” He sighed and rubbed his face.  
“Nothing in particular.” Thor replied sheepishly and slowly walked inside the dark hall, heading towards Loki. “I did not expect to find you... here.”  
“From what I understand, you do not usually wander around remote corners of the palace just for sport. Besides, the sound of your steps was that of a man with a clear purpose.“ Loki sneered and pushed away an empty bottle, and with quiet clatter it rolled towards Thor’s boots. “I am sure, that not only did you expect to find me here, you set out on this walk with the sole purpose to find me. So, allow me to ask you again: what do you want, brother?”

Thor huffed and waved his palm in the air, lighting up the big round spheres floating under the ceiling.

“Oh, Norns...” Loki cringed and covered his face from the bright light.

Thor looked around, making notice of several empty bottles of the strongest intoxicant known in Asgard. Loki growled and rubbed his eyes, and stared at The God of Thunder with displeasure and exasperation.

“Have you come here to gawk at me?”  
“No. I have come to talk. How is your Midgardian companion doing?” Thor finally asked. “Is she in good health? I have not seen her in some time…”  
“And you are unlikely to see her ever again.” Loki replied plainly and fixed his gaze on the opposite wall, a little to the left from Thor’s figure.

The God of Thunder hemmed awkwardly and said nothing, but even without looking at his half-brother Loki could imagine a mixed-up and expectant look on his face.

“You had the question ready since the very moment you walked inside, therefore I assume that you are rather familiar with the recent events.” Loki chuckled and was surprised by the sound of his own laughter, bitter and dreadful, like a raven’s crow. “Have you come to pity me, brother? I do not need your commiseration!”  
“I know,” Thor replied and bent forward with a hand stretched out. "Come with me, I know one thing you need.”

Loki tried to give his brother a suspicious look, but he had trouble focusing his eyes on his figure, and after a moment of hesitation he took his hand. Thor effortlessly pulled him up and headed out of the chamber, and Loki mindlessly followed him along the passages, moving his feet without a single thought in his head.

They walked into a spacious training hall, and Thor took two spears from a rack by the wall. He threw a long training spear at his brother. Loki wobbled on his feet, but caught the weapon with a precise move.

“You look like you could use some distraction.” Thor said casually and suddenly made a fast thrust and poked Loki into the ribs.

The weapon was safe, with the wooden point, but the hit was still painful. Loki hissed and jumped away from his brother, holding his spear aslant.

“Do you know the difference between distraction and beating?” He yelped angrily.  
“Shut up and fight.” Thor grinned at him and threateningly waved the spear in the air in one quick, flowing motion.

After almost half an hour of non-stop attacks Thor gave him a moment of rest. Loki leaned against the wall, panting heavily. He was definitely feeling much more sober, but he would prefer to have his mind clouded.

“Speak.” Thor ordered.  
“Oh, there is nothing to speak of,” Loki breathed out, wiping the sweat off his face. “You see, since I have sealed the agreement with the Highlord of Alfheim, I am no more a free man. It does not bother me personally, because a marriage is nothing else but a political alliance, but it turned out to be unacceptable for Julia. She insisted on ending our liaison, and no matter how much I tried to persuade her to change her mind, she is certain of her decision. This fact is slightly bothering me, because I have grown to become… rather fond of the maiden’s companionship.”

Thor chewed on his lower lip, watching Loki closely. The girl’s decision was obviously bothering his brother much more than he wanted to acknowledge.

“Some Midgardian customs might seem bizarre to you and me,” Thor finally said. “Once Lady Darcy told me of a maiden who got married to a pizza - you know, pizza is a flat piece of dough with…”  
“I know what a pizza is,” Loki interrupted him. “What is your point?”  
“In their Realm the concept of marriage for the sake of forging a political alliance is a relic.” Thor explained. “You might consider the Midgardians small-minded and unwise because of this, but they usually choose to spend their life with those they cherish the most. And I actually believe it to be a good thing.”  
“Indeed, what a splendid idea.” Loki drawled, doing his best to sound offhand, but his voice was filled with despair. “Tell me then, brother, what do you suggest I do? Marry the Midgardian instead of the Elven Princess?”

Thor hesitated.

“From what I know, the last time the Aesir man had shared the apples of Idun with a human maid had taken place more than two thousand years ago, but you surely would not be the first one to take a Midgardian woman as your spouse.” He mused. “The pride of the Elves would be wounded, but the people of Alfheim are reasonable enough not to start a war. Thence, the biggest problem I anticipate is the reaction of the Council of Elders...”  
“I was not speaking seriously,” Loki snapped quickly, trying to push away the thoughts and visions that had been haunting him for some time.

_If he had married Julia, she would consume the apples of Idun in order for her lifespan to match his, and she would join him in Asgard, leaving behind the small Midgardian house. The maid would probably wish to keep seeing her family, and he would allow that, but he would also make sure that she never descends to her Realm without guards to keep her safe. There was no way he would let her keep the Midgardian job, though - especially when she is with child._

_Even if the Aesir men had mixed blood with Midgardian women before, Loki was sure that there had not been a single union between a human maid and an ice giant. Would their children inherit his magic powers? What could they look like, what color would their hair be? What would he name them?..._

He snapped out of the unwanted fantasy and narrowed his eyes, glaring at Thor with hatred and anger.

“The idea is brilliant, indeed. Alas, I cannot afford to do what I want, because you have chosen to flee to an alien Realm instead of doing your duty as an heir to the throne. You are avoiding responsibility like a coward, and I am suffering for your immaturity!” Loki tossed the long spear away. “Tell me, then, what if I marry the maiden like you suggest I do? Will you return to Asgard and free me of the burden which I have shouldered because I know what duty is?”  


Thor narrowed his eyes.  


“Do not try to blame me for your decisions, brother.” He said slowly, his voice a threatening rumble. “Now you call the throne of Asgard a burden?! Isn't it what you desired so much, brother? Isn't it what you sought? Be honest with yourself at least. The choice is always yours, but remember that there is a price to pay for everything.”  


Loki gave Thor a haughty look.  


“I am not a fool like you to give up all that I have for the sake of a woman.”  
“Tell me then, what is it that you have?” Thor laughed coldly. “The burden you speak of is nothing but a birthright that has never been yours, a throne you have stolen from the man you refuse to call father!”  
“Mind your words!” Loki roared, clenching his fists. Magic was filling the training hall, crackling like electricity, and hoarfrost covered the tall ogival windows.  
“What, the truth hurts, doesn't it?” Thor asked mockingly, not at all intimidated by the uncontrolled outburst of Loki’s wrath and magic. “All you have is yourself, Loki _Laufeyson_ \- it is all you ever had, and if this woman still wants you after all the wrongs you’ve caused - she is either insane, or insanely in love, and I do not know which option causes me to pity her more.”

\----------

Loki was drained, he expected to have fresh bruises from Thor’s punches by morning, and he craved a sip of cold water more than anything, but his head was exceptionally clear. The passage was swaying no matter how much he tried to walk a straight line, but Loki kept trying, wandering around the empty halls of the sleeping palace, because if he had stopped for a single moment, the thoughts would return and haunt him. It must have been at least a couple of hours of mindless sauntering, until he walked past the shut doors of the main throne hall.

The Asgardian froze in the middle of the passage and slowly turned around. The heavy doors were closed, but there was a thin sliver of light coming from under the door, and it was not right.

The anticipation of trouble filled him, but not for a single moment did Loki hesitate or consider fleeing. Slowly, yet decisively he approached the door and nodded at the commander of the guards. The sentries opened the heavy doorleafs at his silent order, and the Acting Allfather walked inside.  


Thor was right, there is a price to pay for everything.  


The throne was not empty. Loki did not lower his eyes under a heavy stare of the rightful King as he walked across the spacious hall, and behind his back he heard the quiet clatter of the guards’ weapons.  


“Restrain him,” Odin’s deep voice was full of disdain. Loki had not heard this voice in almost four years now.

The guards pointed their weapons at him, and Loki felt a touch of cold metal speartip on his back. The God of Lies snarled at the man on the throne, anticipating what comes next with grim thrill.

“Did you sleep well, _Allfather_?”


	31. Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear All,  
> thank you for the comments and kudos (very motivating ^.^). You cannot imagine how grateful I am for your feedback!  
> I promised you some action, didn't I?  
> Behold! I present to you my version of the Twilight of the Gods, and I hope you find it interesting.
> 
> Now, how do you like Odin-who-is-not-a-total-dick, and Thor the fairy God-brother? ;)

How would you spend a day, if you knew that tomorrow everything might end for good? Unfortunately, the answer “as if it was the last day of my life” is reserved for millionaires who have no need to be bothered with consequences in case the Apocalypse doesn't work out. Alas, there are too little millionaires in this world, and too many people with boring office jobs.

The day was almost over, and Julia was counting minutes till five P.M. It was the thirty first of October, and what was coming next was a bank holiday - and also the day of Convergence. While the girl did not mind a day out of office - because who would? - the fact that tomorrow all the Realms would align was filling her heart with dread. Whatever was about to happen next, Julia had a very bad feeling about it - and through the ten months of saving the world she had learned to trust her intuition.

It was not only her, bracing herself in the anticipation of the upcoming cosmic anomaly - the whole town laid low. The passers-by in the street were all in a hurry, the ever-present pigeons hid from sight, the crows did not caw, and all employees in the office were unnaturally quiet and tense despite a lazy day. Even Barbara was brooding at her desk across the passage instead of filling the open space with her cheerful loud patter.

The ringing of the desk phone made Julia jump.

“What's up, Cornelia?” She held the phone with her shoulder, reaching for the keyboard to lock the screen. The call from the reception usually meant a package to collect, though Julia could not recall ordering anything recently.  
“Hi, Julia! Good that you are at your desk,” the girl could hear relief in the receptionists nervous voice. “You've got visitors.”  
“Thanks, I'll be there in a moment…” Julia absently tapped her fingers on the desk, wondering if she should take the laptop with her at once. “Who am I meeting? Nielsen or Barclays?”  
“Neither, actually... Some LARPers are here to see you.”  
“LARPers?” Julia repeated just to be sure. “Like those who run around the forest dressed like elves?”  
“Exactly.” Cornelia lowered her voice to a whisper. “Except for these ones have real weapons. Please come quick!”

Julia could not recall having any familiar LARP enthusiasts, but she also had a certain idea who the frightened receptionist could have mistaken for them. The girl swore aloud and hurried towards the exit door under Barbara's surprised gaze.

The spacious front hall seemed too small with these four around. Three men and a woman - all heavily armed, tall, looking like they had escaped the film set of “The Vikings”. The gorgeous brunette and two warriors sat on the soft couches, and the giant with red bushy hair was leaning over the reception desk, while Cornelia was doing her best to move as far away from him as possible.

The dark-haired woman got up and stood at attention as soon as Julia closed the glass door behind her back.

“Lady Julia,” she announced. The girl swallowed. Even the Asgardian _girls_ were all taller than her.  
“Hi… Sif, right? I mean, Lady Sif?” Julia nervously smoothed out her blouse and looked around, realizing that Loki was nowhere to be seen. “What are you doing in my office?”

Upon noticing that Julia was familiar with the armed visitors and not too scared, the receptionist slightly relaxed and cautiously pushed a bowl with candy across the counter towards the red-haired warrior. Volstagg gave both the candy and the girl an interested look.

“The Prince has sent for you.” Lady Sif uttered solemnly. “Your presence is required.”  
“The Prince? You mean, Loki?” Julia asked dully, feeling a swirl of rage and confusion start in the middle of her chest. Loki had _sent_ for her, as if he could not descend to Midgard like he usually did, as if he thought that she would say “Yes, sir!” and gladly come to Asgard at his command...  
“No, I mean Prince Thor.” Lady Sif interrupted Julia's angry thoughts. “Prince Thor has requested your presence at the final hearings of the Royal Tribunal which shall take place today at sunset. You have been invited as an honorable witness.”

Julia's heart missed a beat.

“Tribunal?” She looked at Lady Sif without understanding. “Tribunal, like in court? For criminals? W-what am I… Who is guilty?...”  
“Loki.” The woman replied. “On King Odin’s order Loki has been restrained, and he is being charged with treason for usurping the throne and acting against the better interest of the Kingdom.”  
“What?!” Julia shook her head with a short nervous laugh. “But he didn't…”

She ceased to speak and took a deep breath. Actually, he _did_. What Loki committed was indeed nothing else but treason - masquerading as the rightful King and taking over the throne which was not his - not to mention his past deeds, such as the escape from the dungeons of the Asgardian prison when Thor had requested his assistance in saving the life of Jane Foster…

An escaped convict on the throne of Asgard, he could have expected such an outcome.

“Odin’s order?” Julia whispered in a confused manner. Her head was starting to spin a little. “But Odin is asleep, isn't he?”  
“Not anymore.” Lady Sif replied. “The rightful Allfather has awaken from Odinsleep and shall charge the Princes with disloyalty to the crown…”  
“Princes?” The girl's voice was a squeak. “Both of them?! I can understand Loki, but what did Thor do, in the name of God?!”  
“Prince Thor acted in cahoots with his brother, and he shall be punished for that. Despite his awareness of Loki’s masquerade, he did not share the information with the Council of Elders overseeing the throne in the period of Odinsleep, and allowed Loki to take over the duties of the Acting Allfather.” Lady Sif reported.

 _Prince_ Thor, Julia noticed absently, and Loki.

She walked towards the nearest couch and sank onto the cushions. A blonde warrior slightly moved away, making some space for her.

“You said that I am a witness, what does it mean?” Julia sharply raised her head, meeting Sif’s eyes. “Will there be some kind of investigation? Do I have to testify? Does _Prince_ Loki have a lawyer?”  
“Lawyer?” Lady Sif cocked a brow, and a tiny indulgent smile touched the corners of her lips. “Of course, he does not. This is not how the King's Trials work.”  
“In this case, please be so kind and make me familiar with the way the King’s Trials work,” Julia hissed, leaning forward and feeling an overwhelming desire to take a sharp pencil from the low table between them and stab Lady Sif with it.

The woman blinked. She must have noticed the change in Julia’s posture, because the smile was gone when Lady Sif started to speak.

“For major crimes there is no need for a lawyer’s services, because Heimdall acts as the main prosecutor. It is the only case when he breaks his vow not to intervene and uses his abilities to reveal the misdeeds of the accused one. Prince Loki had been restrained three days ago, and he had already spoken for himself in front of Odin and the Council of Elders, and the All-Seeing One was there to assess if his worlds were true. Today the Allfather shall render the final verdict in front of the Asgardian court.”  
“Do you know what his verdict shall be?” Julia licked her dry lips.  
“The punishment for treason is death, and taking into consideration the Prince’s past wrongdoings, I wouldn’t count on the Allfather’s mercy...”  
“Sorry, I’m not sure that I am following… Does it mean that Loki shall be executed, and nothing can be done about it? What is with this whole “witness” thing?! Is it just a way to ensure my presence at the hearings?”  
“I am afraid that your understanding is correct.” Lady Sif replied quietly. “For you, it is a chance to see him for one last time. Prince Thor thought that you might want this. He would have arrived himself to collect you, but he is not allowed to leave his chambers until the Allfather voices the final sentence for him - although I doubt that the punishment shall be severe since he is the only remaining heir to the throne of Asgard.”

Julia nervously brushed her fingers through her hair and caught a confused and pitiful gaze of the warrior-woman.

“Shall you be joining us?” Lady Sif asked without certainty.  
“What does it look like to you?!” Julia growled and raised her chin. “Of course! Just give me a moment, will you? I can’t just get up and leave the office without a word.”  
“Fine. We shall wait for you, Lady Julia.” Lady Sif nodded, and the girl could swear that she caught a flicker of respect in the warrior’s eyes.  
“Would you like a coffee while you wait?” She heard the receptionist’s voice. Cornelia rested her chin on the palm and contemplated Volstagg with a flirty smile.

Julia got up, trying to sort out a thousand thoughts flying through her mind. What does one need on a journey to the final hearings of the Royal Tribunal? A company credit card? A ball pen? A cell phone? Is there really nothing she can do?! It felt too surreal to be true, but Julia did not have enough time to panic. Maybe later, when everything is over.

“Careful with that coffee, from what I know he’s got twenty three children!” Julia snapped aggressively before slamming the open space door closed, making the receptionist jump in her seat.

Barbara's surprised gaze followed Julia as she stormed through the office and kicked her high heels off.

“Going somewhere? An hour and twelve minutes left till five o’clock!” Barbara announced and crossed her arms on the chest.  
“Yes, some friends are here to pick me up. I need to go to... court.” The girl hastily laced up her oxford boots and pulled on the coat. “It’s an emergency, I will text the Manager on my way.”  
“Will you be back before end of day?” Barbara was watching her friend with a concerned frown.

Julia froze in the middle of the passage and swallowed with an unexpected realization that she might never be back at all. She decisively marched back towards her desk and turned over the bag, shaking it in the air. A Chapstick, a pen, a pack of paper tissues and several hairpins fell on the floor.

“What the hell are you doing, honey?” Barbara asked her cautiously.  
“If I don't return, keep the Michael Kors!” Julia breathed out and placed an empty bag on her friends desk.  
“What?! You bought it a month ago!” Barbara rolled back on her chair. “Besides, why on Earth would you not return?!”  
“Because it is a criminal procedure. Strange things can happen.” Her voice suddenly cracked. Julia delved into the pocket and took out the keys. “If I'm not back in three days, take care of my pet. Her name is Hedwig and she likes canned tuna.”  
“Julia, I have absolutely no idea what is going on, but I swear that you are scaring the hell out of me right now!” Barbara cried out nervously, pressing the bag and keys to her chest. “Are you really going to court, or is there something you're not telling me?”  
“Both!” Julia's voice came from behind a closing glass door.

\----------

“You must be fucking kidding me…”

Julia walked out of the revolving door into the gloomy autumn afternoon and could hardly believe her eyes. Since the days had gotten colder, the coffee shops had removed the beer gardens, and the small neat square in front of the office building was empty. Right now it resembled both a battlefield and a freshly-ploughed meadow. The cobblestones were turned over and melted by the heat of the energy stream which had hit the ground. The damaged pavement was covered in runic symbols, several smaller circles inside a big one. Unlike Loki, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three did not care at all for the consequences of being seen by the unwanted witnesses.

The Asgardians walked straight into the centre of the carvings, and Julia hesitated before following them. She noticed a solitary passer-by stop in the middle of the street and gawk at them.

“How did you get to me?” The girl asked, joining the warriors in the middle of the circle.  
“Heimdall guided us.” Fandral replied. “The All-Seeing One found you and opened the Bifrost.”

Julia bit her lip, recalling Loki saying that her Realm was - or _had been_ \- covered from Heimdall’s eyes with an impenetrable veil and separated from the Nine Realms. The worlds must have moved closer, it was the only explanation of the fact that the Asgardians were able to locate her, as well as the disappearance of the language barrier.

“Right.” She nodded as the circles on the ground were starting to burn. The passer-by took out his phone, and Julia could swear that she would be a Youtube star by the time she gets back. “Cool, nevermind.”

The sensation of her whole body turning weightless as a feather had already become a familiar thing. When the blinding lights dissolved and gravity was back, with surprise Julia found herself in Heimdall’s observatory instead of a remote hall which Loki had been using to travel. Heimdal slightly lowered his head as she followed the warriors out of the building.

“We shall see each other again,” he uttered, but Julia was not sure if it was a good thing.

In complete silence the group embarked on a flying vessel awaiting by the entrance, and Volstagg piloted the ship towards the city, leaving the golden dome of the observatory behind. The vehicle glided over the water, and the setting sun was coloring the waves with crimson.

Volstagg left the ship by the wide staircase leading to the main entrance. The girl followed the warriors up the stairs and along the wide passage, desperately trying to keep up with them and losing her breath.

When they reached the hall and the guards pulled the enormous doors open, Julia froze in the doorway. When she had visited Asgard before, she had come to believe that she had seen all its grandeur and nothing else would ever surprise her. Apparently, she had been wrong.

The gigantic hall was filled with people - several thousands of them, at least. Julia could barely see the side walls, and the ceiling of the chamber was so tall that the girl could swear there were clouds forming high above. Also, there was a tree right inside the hall - an enormously thick trunk covered in pale bark was located in place of one of the walls. The leafy branches of Yggdrasil were dimming the light of golden spheres which looked almost like glimmering Christmas tree decorations.

The two Princes stood in front of the enormous golden throne on a podium, under the eyes of countless men and women filling the hall. Unlike Thor, Loki was surrounded by armed guards and shackled, a long chain attached to the restraints on his wrists.

Thor was the first to notice her come in.

“Thank you,” Julia whispered soundlessly, and a shadow of smile touched the lips of the Thunder God, while his eyes remained alert and sad.

At this moment, Loki glanced towards the entrance as well. He looked over the shoulder, and his eyes indifferently traveled over Lady Sif and the warriors by her side, but then he sharply turned around. Loki’s face was a grimace of surprise, insane happiness and pain so strong that Julia could feel it with her skin. The man took a slow and uneven step towards her, as if he had forgotten of the chains and the guards surrounding him, and the trial itself, and she was the only thing that mattered.

“Remain in your place, prisoner!”

The sentinel sharply pulled the chain, forcing Loki to stop. The man growled and straightened his back, but he did not even glance at the guard, his eyes locked on Julia’s face.

Quiet whispers of the Asgardian nobles filled the hall as Julia followed Lady Sif through the crowd. The girl clenched her hands together, feeling thousands of curious eyes pierce her back.

“I announce the arrival of the Midgardian maid whose presence at the hearings had been requested by Prince Thor.” Volstagg’s words echoed in an enormous hall.  
“I see. Take your places, and we shall begin.” A deep voice replied, and Julia dared to look up at the man on the throne. _The Allfather._

The King of Asgard was old and his face was covered in deep wrinkles, but there was not a sign of feebleness in his posture. Odin turned to the girl, and under the look of his piercing eye she felt cold and slightly dizzy. The Allfather’s gaze was sharp and wise, and at the same time serene as a deep ocean on a windless day, and Julia almost screamed with desperation. Didn’t Heimdall tell the Allfather of the prophesy and Loki’s attempt to prevent the end of the world? Doesn’t he deserve forgiveness for his past deeds? How can Odin not have mercy for his own son? How can he be so calm, sentencing Loki to death?!

As if he could hear her angry thoughts, Odin slightly frowned and shook his head, and in the next moment the girl sank into a black void. The magic skills which Loki possessed could not be compared with the mastery of the Allfather - Odin did not require physical contact to reach Julia's consciousness. Darkness closed over her head like waters of a deep sea before the girl could even understand what is going on.

The hall was empty: there was no crowd of the high-borns, no warriors by the doors, no chains to hold Loki in place. She was completely alone, surrounded by the golden glimmer reflected from every surface, and the Allfather sat on his throne. The King of Asgard smiled at her, and his smile was peaceful and sad.

 _“All figures must be in place.”_ Julia heard Odin’s deep voice. _“And now they are.”_

The mighty branches of Yggdrasil whispered at them from high above, and excitement overwhelmed the girl, as if she has gotten close to the mystery which lies at the very foundation of the Universe, and was about to see and understand it. Julia gasped with thrill. What if the Allfather knew of the role which Loki was going to play in the events of Ragnarok, and by executing him he intended to spare the Nine Realms? What if Odin had always known what was going to happen, and despite that knowledge was playing along, because all figures must be in place, and he had his role to fulfil, just like Loki and Thor?

The Allfather looked away, and the revelation was gone before Julia could grasp it. The girl shivered, diving out of the depth of Odin’s consciousness. She looked around, squinting in the bright lights. It all must have lasted no longer than a heartbeat but it felt like a century, and Julia wondered if anyone had noticed what had happened.

The Allfather got up from the throne and lowered his spear on the floor. The hum of voices receded: the closing session of the Royal Tribunal was about to start.

“Good folk of Asgard! I hereby announce before you all the sentence for Loki of Jotunheim who I had brought up as my son.” The King spoke. “The accused one had been found guilty of committing numerous crimes. Upon his escape from prison he returned to Asgard on time to witness me fall to Odinsleep. The criminal kept this knowledge a secret and reigned in disguise of a rightful King for three years. After revealing himself to Prince Thor, Loki persuaded him to trick the Council of Elders, and kept the power in his hands. The miscreant has confessed to all the faults, and the punishment he shall face is just. Loki Laufeyson, for your trespasses I condemn you to death…”  
“Father, please!” Thor cried out, but one of the guards turned to him and pointed a spear at the man’s chest. “Have mercy!”  
“Silence, son!” Odin’s voice was bitter and tired. “There can be no mercy for a treacherous and violent outlaw. The execution shall take place at dawn. You shall face your punishment as well, and if I were you I would praise the Norns that I am in need of at least one living heir. This is the only reason why you shall not be banished from Asgard.”

Thor suddenly snarled at the King.

“Shall I not, father?” He breathed out and laughed. Odin frowned, and the great hall fell completely silent.

They were on the verge of something very bad - Julia did not yet know what exactly, but clearly some tragic and shocking occurrences lay ahead. Thor stood with his back straight and a bright wide smile on his lips, all eyes on him - a rebellious hero - and then he thrust Mjolnir up in the air.

“Hear me speak, the noble Aesir race! Here I come before the eyes of you all, men and women of Asgard, my ancestors and the Elders! I hereby renounce all rights to the throne of Asgard. I am not fit to carry this weapon, nor to guide you with a strong hand. I declare, that I shall walk out of the doors of this palace and return no more, for there is no bigger dishonour for a man than flee from his duty as a weak coward…”  
“Brother, stop!” Loki stared at Thor with eyes wide open, as if he was seeing him for the first time, and the look on his face was of pure terror. Thor stubbornly tossed his head and continued to speak. His hand holding Mjolnir was shaking with effort, and bright sparks were dancing in the air around him as he recited the words of a sacred plea.  
“...And never again shall I walk the soil of Asgard, for the weak-hearted one is not worthy of witnessing the beauty of the Aesir lands. So speak I, Thor Odinson, and my decision shall remain forever unchanged, and no power in the Nine Realms can reverse it.”

Thor unclenched his grip, and the magic hammer fell on the floor by his feet, causing the flagstones to crack. The runic pattern covering the weapon shone brightly, but then the light faded. Thor was no more the God of Thunder.

“No,” Lady Sif pressed a palm to her lips. When Julia looked at her, the woman’s eyes were wet.

And then the girl understood Thor’s intention, both ingenious and selfless. _There must always be a Stark in Winterfell._ The King of Asgard needs an heir, and Thor’s sacrifice was nothing else but a way to leave Odin no other choice but to spare Loki’s life.

The girl looked at the Allfather and with surprise saw a grimace of fear on his face. What if her guess had been correct, and each of them has a role to play? Thor’s willful banishment must have never been part of the plan.

Was _she_ a part of the plan?

Through the agitated and nervous hum of voices the girl suddenly heard a distant low sound - like a bellow of a giant creature. She nervously looked around, wondering what the source of it might be, and met a confused gaze of Fandral.

“Heimdall,” he uttered and locked his grip around the hilt of the sword.  
“What?” Julia squealed. The crowd moved, and the girl almost lost the warrior from sight.  
“Heimdall blows his horn.” Fandral caught Julia's forearm and pulled her through a group of nervous maidens. “Something bad has happened. Stay close to us.”

The sound of the horn repeated, and this time it was so loud that the walls of the hall vibrated and trembled. Then, a loud thud came from behind the locked doors, and with terror Julia realized that the vibrations she had been sensing were not caused by Heimdall’s signal, but something else, something dangerous and evil behind the walls of the chamber. A moment later the heavy wooden doors broke under a forceful kick, bursting into a million splinters and chips flying across the hall. The crowd screamed.

Julia felt her jaw drop. She had never seen a giant before - a _real_ one, Loki did not count for the sake of being a “vertically challenged” representative of the Jotunn race. Unlike him, real giants were very, very big.

The creatures advancing at the Asgardians were at least three meters tall. The giants’ dark-amber skin was uneven like melted and congealed resin, with orange glow of lava showing from the cracks. The air around them was rippling with heat.

“Loki, you fool! You jeopardized the peaceful existence of the Aesir folk by inviting the enemies to the palace!” Odin’s voice was a desperate bitter cry. Loki, still handcuffed, shot the Allfather an angry glare and sharply ripped the chain holding him in place.

The fire entities flooded the hall, causing the crowd to flee. Chaos embraced the place as the guards and armed nobles rushed into a fight, and for a moment Julia lost both Princes from sight. She was completely disoriented, but lucky enough not to get swept off her feet by the terrified mob.

“There you are!”

Julia squealed when someone pulled her behind the column. She blindly tried to kick the attacker, but he turned her around and closed a firm embrace around her waist.

“Loki?!” The girl yelped with disbelief and relief.

The Asgardian was alive and well - as well as a death convict can be. The chain fastening the shackles on his wrists together was broken.

“What is going on?!” Julia wailed. She grasped the lapels of his overcoat, feeling her knees wobble a little.  
“We’re under attack?” Loki suggested casually. An explosion made the throne hall shake.  
“You don’t say!” The girl snapped. The temperature in the hall rose significantly, and sweat was trickling down her back. Julia hastily stripped off the woolen coat.  
“Norns, isn’t it obvious?… The peaceful diplomatic mission of the fire giants turned out to be not as peaceful as their ruler Surtr had claimed,” the Asgardian explained grumpily under Julia’s shocked gaze. “My bad. It was a mistake to trust them...”  
“A really big one! What now?!”

Loki cautiously peeked from behind the column.

“Now we fight.” He declared and suddenly pressed Julia to the pillar.

The girl yelped with surprise when the Asgardian covered her lips with his in a short passionate kiss.

“Don't be too cruel to me, sweet bird.” Loki breathed out, burning her with hot breath and smiling into her lips. “You can't deny the death convict his last wish!”

He laughed, carelessly and insanely, and jumped to a side, pulling the girl away from the column. The next moment an explosion hit it, and the pillar snapped at the midpoint, destroying their hideout from a moment ago.

The hall was a battlefield, full of people crying, fighting and dying under the sharp sword blades. From a distance Julia saw Thor, slaughtering the attackers at the feet of Odin’s golden throne. Loki growled and pushed away two warriors grappled together, determined to reach his brother.

“Thor!” He yelled.

The blonde man turned to him, his face animated with rage. There was blood on Thor’s armour, and his hair was wet with sweat.

“Care to join the fun?” Thor smashed the fire giant closest to him on the head with a heavy round shield. He might have lost his hammer, but not the strength.  
“You have just banished yourself from Asgard,” Loki shouted at him. “Have you gone mad, brother?”  
“Possibly,” Thor turned to Julia for a moment and handed her the shield. “I am glad that you have accepted my invitation to join us, my Lady.”  
“The pleasure’s all mine!” The girl squealed and huddled up behind the shield. A moment later a burning arrow hit it straight in the middle.  
“Do you even understand what you’ve done, you oaf?” Loki caught Thor by forearm. The former God of Thunder raised a brow.  
“The right thing, I suppose?” He countered. “Even though I believe that you deserve a punishment for your misdeeds, brother, death is a sentence too cruel and irreversible. Alas, our father is sometimes hard to reason with…”  
“ _Your_ father.” Loki growled and covered the three of them with a magical protective shell. He thrust his right hand up, and the rain of sharp ice spears fell from above, filling the enormous hall with cries of terror and death rattle, but a moment later the see-through dome above them popped like a soap bubble. Loki cursed, eyeing the magical cuffs on his wrists with exasperation.

Thor tilted his head back and laughed out loud.

“Oh, no, little brother,” he slammed Loki’s shoulder in a cordial manner, the blow so strong it almost made the man collapse on his knees. “He is _your_ father now.”

A group of heavily armed guards reached the Princes.

“Sires,” the commander shortly bowed to Loki and Thor. “The fire giants have taken over the Southern wing of the palace. There is a portal in one of the abandoned halls - it is a copy of the Bifrost, but on a slightly smaller scale. When we checked it yesterday, the passage was leading to Midgard, but someone must have redirected it. The Jotunn warriors keep coming, more than a hundred are already here and we do not know how many more shall arrive. It seems that Surtr is leading his entire army to Asgard…”

Thor turned to Loki with an angry grimace on his face, causing the dark-haired man to roll his eyes.

“ _What?!_ I am sorry that I did not have the time to deactivate the portal before Odin threw me into the dungeons!”  
“Well, you did have the time to cry on my shoulder like a miserable, heartbroken drunk fool!” Thor puffed with vexation.  
“Don’t you dare!” Loki hissed menacingly, shooting his brother a murderous glare.

Their quarrel was interrupted by a crack of thunder. The blinding white light filled the place, and when Julia blinked the blind spots away, she saw a group of men dressed in dark cloaks walk across the hall, heading towards one of the side entrances. The flying arrows were piercing their bodies, but not a single one of the cloaked strangers stumbled nor cried in pain, as if the fleshwounds did not hurt them at all. A see-through rectangular box was levitating in the air between the cloaked figures, and there was a bright blue crystal inside the chest.

“The Tesseract has been stolen!” Thor cried out and turned to the group of warriors by his side. “Follow me, we need to stop these men.”  
“No!” Loki caught Thor by the forearm in an attempt to hold him in place. “Do not approach them if you want to live! These are the faceless ones.”

The blonde man tossed his shoulder, shaking Loki’s hand off.

“I care not who they are!” He replied with disdain. “I shall not stand and watch them like a coward!”

At this moment, a group of Asgardian warriors reached the fleeing Death worshippers and stood in their way. One of the soldiers swung the sword at the man nearest to him, and the faceless one lazily raised his hand. A lightning flew off his fingers and hit the warriors, and with a cry of pain the soldiers collapsed on the floor, all dead and still. Thor stared at the motionless bodies in shock.

“You were saying?...” Loki snapped, letting his brother go.

The battle lasted, and though the Aesir warriors were bravely fighting the invaders, more and more of them were coming. A horde of fire giants flooded the great hall, splitting the battlefield in two and separating Odin from Loki and Thor. The Allfather and the warriors by his side gathered by the Yggdrasil, outnumbered and surrounded by the enemy troops.

“Warriors, retreat!” The Allfather’s voice rang above the battlefield. “Retreat to the upper levels of the palace!”

The Jotunn archers fired the arrows, and a deadly flaming rain poured over the Aesir warriors. Loki pulled Julia closer and held a shield above their heads.

“You will listen to him… right?” The girl breathed out, shivering at the sound of arrows hitting the surface of the shield.  
“Of course, not!” Thor growled and picked up an abandoned sword from the ground, intending to make his way through the cauldron of the battle towards Odin. “Father! Warriors, follow me!”

Thor’s cry died in his throat. The Allfather was looking straight at the blonde man, and the God of Thunder gasped and let go of the sword, desperately trying to catch his breath.

 _“Hear my order, and do not dare disobey me. Retreat, and bring back the Tesseract!”_ Odin’s lips moved, and the Princes heard him despite the battle raging all around. _“Do it, no matter the cost!”_

The retreating warriors swept Loki and Julia apart from Thor, carrying them towards the door like a living river, and for the moment they lost sight of the Allfather. When they finally shouldered their way through the crowd and dove into an alcove, Loki looked back and froze.

“No!”

Thor was on the ground, the sword on the floor by his side. A Jotunn warrior was towering over him, but this giant was almost two times bigger than the others, and clad in armour of mat-black material. The giant flung his sword, and Thor helplessly raised his hands to cover the head from the impending deadly blow, unable to summon the Mjolnir anymore.

“Surtr!” The Allfather’s call made the giant turn around. “Come and fight me, for it is me that you want!”

The ruler of fire giants turned around and laughed, and the blade of his sword shone with bright white.

“Aye,” he rumbled, walking towards the Allfather. The Jotunn warriors circled the two Kings.

With a roar the giant swung the heavy weapon in the air, and suddenly, the Allfather could not protect himself. The magic blade cut the spear in Odin’s hand in half, as if it was a wooden match. And then, the ruler of the fire giants thrust the sword forward, pinning the Allfather to the trunk of Yggdrasil.

The Allfather was clad in armour, but the weapon cut through it as if it was no metal, but soft wool. Odin looked down at a deep wound in the middle of his chest, and a thin trail of blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. The blade of Surtr’s sword was glimmering with white magical fire, and the glow was fading.

It felt as if the time flow has slowed down, and all sounds faded. The Yggdrasil trembled, and the battle stopped for a short moment, all warriors turning to witness the death of the Allfather. Cries of terror, rage and despair filled the great hall, but then the remaining Aesir soldiers resumed the fight with doubled rage.

“Shit, he killed Odin!” Julia whined between nervous giggles and clumsily sat down on the floor. The girl hugged herself, absently watching the fight gain momentum again. “He killed the motherfucking Allfather, and the faceless men stole the blue shiny thing... Oh, God, no! Oh, sweet Christmas, what is happening? I must be dreaming, I need to wake up, I want to go home, this is all too fucked-up to be real… If I don’t get killed, I swear I will go to church someday...”

Probably, this is what a soldier is feeling after witnessing his first battle. Julia was lucky not to get hit by a flying arrow or a sword of a warrior making his way through the rush. Loki sharply pulled the girl up, interrupting her quiet sad mumbling. The man motioned his right hand in the air, and a piece of Odin’s broken spear flew towards him across the hall. Julia stared at him in awe and wonder. Loki had never looked more divine before, with the Allfather’s weapon in his hand, in the middle of a palace hall turned into a battlefield. It took the girl a longer moment to focus on the movement of his lips.

“Concentrate and stay close to me. We are leaving.” Loki ordered and headed into the damaged doorway resembling a hungry open maw. Spells and arrows were bouncing off the veil covering the two of them, but the surface of the magic barrier was rippling.  
“Loki, what are you doing?!”  
“I am following Odin’s command.” He replied shortly, his eyes fixes on the passage in front of them.  
“Thor is all alone there! He will die!” Julia whined as she glanced over the shoulder. The smell of fresh blood was filling her nostrils and making her head spin.  
“I doubt that. He will be fine.” Loki said, marching down the wide passage. Julia had to run in order to keep up with him. “And when it is all over I shall kill him myself for dragging you here.”  
“Loki,” Julia whined and pulled his sleeve, trying to make him slow down a little. She was shocked, terrified, and the smell of burnt flesh was making her sick. “Loki, they killed Odin!”  
“Yes I have noticed.” Loki answered shortly, and the girl noticed that his hands were shaking. “The folk of Asgard shall mourn him after the battle is over.”

The girl opened her mouth to respond, but Loki firmly covered her lips with his palm and pressed his back against the wall. He pushed one of the stones with his heel, and part of the wall moved aside, uncovering a hidden pathway. A moment later, a group of heavily armed Jotunn warriors emerged from round the corner, but the corridor was already empty.

“Watch your step.” The Asgardian instructed Julia and snapped his fingers, lighting up magical blue fires.  
“Where are we going?!” The girl asked Loki’s back as they headed forward.  
“As far away from here as possible. I need to deliver you some place safe, and then I shall follow the faceless ones to retrieve the Tesseract. Whatever they want it for, it cannot be good, and an artefact so powerful and dangerous must remain in Asgard.” Loki explained in a quiet voice.

Julia counted almost a thousand steps in the darkness before they got out of the hidden passage into the palace corridor. Loki blew off the fen-fires dancing in front of his face and peeked over the corner. The doors of the remote hall he had been using to travel secretly were wide open, and one could hear voices and clanging of weapons from inside.

“Norns hate me today,” the man breathed out, turning to Julia. “I am greatly outnumbered, there are at least seven warriors there. Trying to get inside would be too risky with my powers blocked. Come!”  
“Where?!”  
“To Heimdall’s keep.”  
“ _No!_ ” Julia’s protest was so loud and desperate that Loki pulled back from her and looked over the shoulder, making sure the warriors hadn’t made notice of the cry. “No, please, wait! Don’t do it! You don’t understand, but it seems that I do, now I do! It is all a plan, a prophecy, remember how it goes? Heimdall blows his horn, fire giants lead by Surtr advance, Gods and heroes die in battle...”  
“I remember the text well.” Loki interrupted the girl. “What is it that you want?”  
“I want you to stop right here, and not go anywhere!” Julia freaked out. “According to the legends, you will kill Heimdall. If you go to his observatory now, you increase the chance of this part coming true as well!”  
“What does the prophecy say about Midgardian maidens getting caught up in the mix?" Loki grunted at her. “Nothing? So I thought. Thor was not supposed to bring you here, nor abdicate. See, the prophecy went all wrong. Now, since you see for yourself that the old tale of yours is a lie, let us focus on keeping you alive, shall we? I do not intend to kill Heimdall, if it will make you feel better. See, even criminals like me do not always slaughter everyone they meet on their way.”

More passages, spiral staircases leading down, marks of blood on the walls and motionless bodies on the way. When they reached the lower level of the palace, Loki decisively headed left.

“No, here!” Julia pulled him towards the main entrance.  
“The hangar is that way!” Loki held her in place and pointed at one of the doors.  
“We parked a ship by the staircase,” the girl explained, hoping that the servants had not been diligent enough to place the vehicle into the hangar. “It will be faster.”

Her prayers had been heard. The girl peeked over the balustrade and saw a pot-bellied ship right in place where Volstagg has left it. She yelped in a “told you” manner and pointed her finger at the vessel.

“The Prince is fleeing!” A roar behind their backs made the couple jump. A group of armed fire giants appeared from behind the corner, and with terror Julia saw Surtr ahead of the warriors.

Loki grabbed the girl by the forearm and darted down the stairs. He pulled her onto the vessel and bent over the control panel. The ship rose in the air.

“They need to get a vessel ready for a flight; this shall buy us some time.” The man sharply pulled the steering lever right, and Julia hastily grabbed the side of the ship to stand straight.

\----------

“Heimdall! Heimdall, where are you?”

The guardian was nowhere to be seen. The shuffle of their steps was reflecting from the walls of the empty golden watchtower, filling the premise with whispers and swish.

Loki ran up the stairs leading to the device and carefully studied it. Between two metal shining orbs there was a rectangular plinth with a narrow slit on top.

“Heimdall’s sword is the lever which opens the Rainbow Bridge,” he muttered under his breath. “Without it, I cannot open the portal…”

The Asgardian concentrated, and a couple of sparks flew off his fingers. Then, a see-through blue sword appeared in his hand, but a moment later the illusion dissolved. Loki growled and tried again, and this time he was able to hold the illusion long enough to place the see-through weapon into the opening.

“Get away from the Bifrost!” The strict voice of the guardian rang through the observatory.

Heimdall stormed through the hall and pushed Loki away from the device.

“Don’t come any closer, if you do not want to bring doom upon us all!”  
“Then you do it!” Loki ordered. “Help! Take me to Midgard!”  
“No.” The guardian of the Bifrost bared his sword and stood between Loki and the control panel. “You cannot leave this tower!”  
“I have no time to bargain with you.” Loki hissed with a fierce scowl, pointing Odin's broken spear at Heimdall’s neck. “Move!”  
“No! Step down, Loki.”  
“I said, open the Bifrost!”

A loud screech came from behind the walls of Heimdall’s watchtower, and with a deafening boom a ship piloted by the pursuers hit the wall at full speed. The guardian looked away for a short moment, distracted by the crash, and Loki took advantage of his hesitation. He leaped forward and swung Odin’s spear low above the ground, aiming at Heimdall’s ankles. The guardian wobbled and stumbled, and Loki tore the sword out of his hand. He pushed the man away and quickly placed the blade into a narrow opening between two orbs. The device whirred, filling the observatory with steady bright glow, and the passage opened.

Julia couldn’t call herself an expert on portals, but she could clearly tell that something was not right with this one. The pitch-black vortex was spinning slowly, resembling the deepest dark abyss of the space. The temperature in the watchtower fell slightly, and Loki pulled back from the portal, hesitating.

“Listen to me, you fool, before it is too late! Do not go inside!” Heimdall’s all-seeing eyes were filled with dread. “You cannot imagine what awaits you on the other side!”  
“Loki, please, listen to him!” Julia whispered, unable to look away from the slow maelstrom. It seemed to be pulsating, as if the darkness was breathing.

The heavy doors shook, and Loki caught Julia by the hand.

“Do you really prefer to stay here? I like my idea best,” he said and leaped forward, taking the girl with him straight into the impenetrable black void. Before darkness surrounded the two of them, Julia caught a glimpse of enormous flaming figures entering the observatory, and fire licking the walls.

What kind of terrible future did Heimdall see that he broke his usual habit not to intervene, and tried to stop the two of them from stepping into the dark swirl?

Apparently, they were about to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was bold enough to modify the events described here, but hopefully you do not mind, an AU is an AU after all :)  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar%C3%B6k


	32. Chapter 32

Dear All,

Sorry to disappoint you, but this is not an update... yet ;) 

It is just a writer's appeal to say, how deeply sorry I am for the delay. The next chapter takes me the longest, because it is the hardest and the saddest one of all. Writing it requires a lot of research to fit my story into the Ragnarok myth, and a great deal of willpower to drag Loki and Julia through the torments I have prepared for them. And to be frank, I am very unwilling to do it because I have grown quite fond of them...

From the other hand, as a responsible person I cannot leave them in the middle of their journey to the Land of the Dead, when we are so close to the showdown and there are only two chapters left. Please kindly give me time till weekend (Saturday end of day, tops!), and I will post an update.

I also promise to make up for this delay with a little Christmas special ;)

Cheers to you all!


	33. Sucker Punch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear All,  
> I have promised you an update on Saturday evening, and look who is late again... Nevertheless, please enjoy a piece filled with dark temptations, hertbreaks, and plot twists!
> 
> Be warned, this chapter is scary and sad, and it makes people cry (well, it made _me_ cry), but it is not the end yet ;) an update will follow shortly, and I bet you will love it!  
>  Cheers to you all!

_Bran thought about it. “Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?”_  
_“That is the only time a man can be brave,” his father told him._

_George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones_

\----------

“We are still alive!” Julia flung her hands up, throwing a cloud of grey powder in the air.

Loki by her side grunted and wiped the dust off his face, leaving dark warpaint-like marks on his cheeks and forehead.

“Surprisingly, we are,” he took a deep breath and sat up. “Something went wrong. This is not Midgard.”

Indeed, it was not. Julia looked around: there was no moon or sun in the pitch-black skies above their heads, and no stars either. They were lucky to land on top of a soft pile of snow and strange grey dust mixed together. The girl held out a hand, waiting for several flakes to land on her palm.

“Ashes!” She cried out in surprise, rubbing her fingers one over the other. “These are ashes! Do you see this?!”

The ashes falling from the low dark skies were so soft and thick than one could make a snow angel. They were dancing in the wind and mixing with the snowflakes in the air, but the scenery was anything but peaceful. It took Julia a longer moment of observation to understand that the snow was not falling down, but flying straight up into the black void above their heads.

The girl remembered that Heimdall had not followed them into the open portal, choosing the flaming swords of Jotunn warriors over a journey to…

“What is this place?” The sound of her voice was muted as if it was coming from a deep well.

Loki helped her up.

“I think that we ended up in Hel,” he said.  
“ _Hell?_ ” With a nervous giggle Julia shook her head. “Like, for bad people?”  
“No, I do not mean the Midgardian concept of the underworld where the souls of the sinners are condemned to eternal suffering.” The man turned away from her, alertly listening to the howl of the wind. “Helheim is a place for those who die from disease, old age or other causes without having accomplished something worthy of honor to be granted a place in Valhalla.”

Julia looked at the Asgardian and swallowed.

“Are we dead?” She asked, her voice caught in her throat.  
“I do not think so.” Loki replied musingly. He snapped his fingers a several times, and the snowflakes in the air around his figure ceased to move for a short moment, but then the metal restraints on his wrists became sizzling hot, and the man winced in pain. “I still have my powers, and these shackles would not affect a bodiless spirit.”

Julia nodded. She squinted, but could hardly discern anything behind the greyish veil of snow and ashes, only a big dark silhouette at a distance. They slowly moved forward - although there was no big difference what direction to choose, since the land around them was a plain cold wasteland.

A few more steps, and Julia froze in her place. The roots of an enormous tree were surrounding the two of them like motionless giant snakes, thick and tangled, sticking out of the dead cold ground. The girl brushed her palm over the uneven greyish bark covered in hoarfrost.

“What is this?!” She stepped away and tilted her head back - a thick trunk was barely visible in the darkness.  
“The land of Helheim is located at the roots of Yggdrasil,” Loki explained. “We are at the very bottom of the Nine Realms.”  
“Awesome,” Julia whispered. The bubbling of adrenaline in her veins was making the girl feel excited despite the fact that they had accidently ended up in the land of the dead.  
“It will be awesome if we make it out of here.” Loki breathed out so quietly that the girl could barely hear his words. She turned to the man and with surprize witnessed the look of anguish and desperation on his face. Julia had seen Loki lose his temper before, she had seen him both sad and furious, but this time his distress was a thousand times more intense. She recalled him speaking of the torments he had lived through in the clutches of Thanos, and her agitation faded at once. Even though the Asgardian claimed that no prophecy could make him lose the clarity of mind, in one day he had been condemned to death, he had fought in battle and he had lost his father - and it would have been enough for any living being to go insane, no matter how strong-willed and unwavering.

Sometimes all it takes is one bad day.

“We definitely won’t, if you keep standing here brooding.” Julia drawled and lightly pushed his side with an elbow. Her voice was a little too cheerful to fit into the lifeless surroundings, but Loki braced himself. He gently squeezed her palm in his and shot the girl a grateful look. “So, what is the ingenious plan of yours?”  
“I must retrieve the Tesseract from the faceless ones, and I bet that there is no other place they would go since your Realm is no more invisible to Heimdall. I have a feeling that I shall find them here, in Helheim.” The Asgardian replied. “I would prefer to take you to safety first and pursue them alone, but I do not have much of a choice. How do you fancy walking through Hel with me, sweet bird?”  
“Do I really have to answer that?” Julia sneered at him. “I would definitely prefer a stairway to heaven, but it doesn’t seem like an option for us. You show the way.”

\----------

It must have been several hours of fast march at least, and Julia was starting to feel as if she was losing her mind - the scenery was not changing; it was the same plain terrain covered in snow as far as eye could reach, and soft grey flakes falling from the pitch-black sky, and the howling of the wind over the lifeless land. Her phone battery was completely drained, and the clock hands of the wristwatch were moving fast one moment and slow the other. The girl glanced at her companion. Loki did not say a single word since the moment they had left the Yggdrasil behind.

“This place is so frozen, no wonder why it feels so dead.” Julia muttered under her breath and kicked away a lump of ice.

The Asgardian huffed upon hearing her words.

“So narrow-minded of you,” he chuckled. “Trust me, sweet bird, a frozen land can be full of life. The glaciers of Jotunheim lit by the polar lights, and the sparkle of snow under the soft starry skies are so magnificent that one shall never be able to forget their beauty. I am not welcome in Jotunheim anymore, but when we return I can sneak the two of us in for a moment. You shall see for yourself that the Realm of eternal cold is not at all similar to this unholy place.”

 _When_ , Loki said, not _if_. He spoke, doing his best to sound certain about their return, but he could not stop thinking of the look of dread in Heimdall’s eyes. The All-Seeing Guardian of the Bifrost had chosen a certain death inside the burning observatory over following them into a portal leading to Hel, and Loki wondered, what kind of terrible things he had foreseen.

“How much longer do we need to walk?” Julia touched his sleeve, causing the man to snap out of his thoughts.  
“We need to walk until we find the palace where the Goddess of Death resides.” Loki replied absently.  
“Cool. What does this palace look like?”  
“How would I know?” The Asgardian snapped with slight irritation. “I have never been to this Realm before. I think we will know as soon as we see it - besides, this land does not look inhabited, Hel’s palace will most likely be the only building in this wasteland.”

Julia frowned, but chose to ignore his outburst. Everyone deals with stress in his own way, and she had already learned that Loki’s weapon of choice was sarcasm and acrid remarks.

“It seems like we’ve been walking all day.” She went on calmly. “How come that am I not tired yet?”  
“Because you are in Hel,” the Asgardian replied with a slightly puzzled look on his face, as if she had asked him of a matter so obvious that even a baby would know the answer. “The dead ones have no physical needs, they are never cold, nor hungry, nor exhausted. If any living creature ends up in their Realm, the same rules apply.”  
“Does it mean that we cannot die here, either?”  
“On the contrary, we can,” Loki pursed his lips. “And I am afraid that the chances of us dying are very high...”

It took him several steps to notice that Julia was not following.

“What is wrong?” He sighed with exasperation and turned around. The girl shifted on her feet, peering into the greyish haze, and ignored his question. “Come on, we need to move fast. I do not know what kind of creatures inhabit this land, but something tells me they shall not be friendly towards the two lonely travelers.”  
“Wait…” Julia slowly shook her head. “Do you see this?”

Something shone in the mist. It was a bright sparkle of gold, as pure and colorful as the sun - and Julia could not hold a joyful cry. She darted forward through the blizzard, leaving her companion behind.

“Julia, stop!” Loki yelled behind her back. “Stop right now!”

Julia did not listen, although she realized how unreasonable it was of her. Loki’s angry cry faded in the howling wind, and she heard a woman’s voice instead - quiet, soft, strangely familiar. It was calling her, encouraging the girl to move faster, because someone was waiting behind the veil of snow and ashes...

The calling stopped at once when Julia lost her balance. Her boots slipped on the icy ground, and the girl yelped and waved her hands in the air in a vain attempt not to fall down. She slithered helplessly down a steep slope, digging her fingers into the ground and trying to grasp one of the frozen rocks with sharp edges.

Loki caught her at the very edge of a tall cliff. Julia gulped for air, shivering in his embrace and staring down at the still-grey waters of the river. A couple of small stones slid from under her boots and fell into the stream. It was deep and very fast, and its waves were crushing into the sharp rocks of the banks, raising cold splashes into the air. The glimmer she had discerned through the clouds of snow and ashes was coming from a wide golden bridge across the river.

“Have you gone insane?” Loki hissed into Julia’s ear. The girl slowly shook her head, hypnotized by the fast movement of the waves down below.

The Asgardian pulled her away from the edge. He glared at Julia with anger for a short moment, but then pressed her firmly to his chest.

“Stupid, irresponsible creature! How can you value your own life so little?! Don’t you ever do this again, you understand?”  
“Yes, I know, I am sorry! Please, stop scolding me.” Julia breathed out and hesitated, wondering if she should tell Loki about the calling she had heard. It was hard to say, if the mysterious woman was trying to get her killed, or to point them in the right direction. “At least I found the palace we’ve been looking for. It is a good thing, right?”

The building on the other bank of the river had little resemblance of the great royal palace of Asgard, but both Loki and Julia were certain that this was the place. The residence of Hel looked like an ancient Viking longhouse - a hall built entirely of wood, with a low pitched roof and no windows. The logs of the walls were burnt, there were long deep cuts on the door, and arrows stuck in the shingles on the roof. The hall looked like it had once withstood a siege, and Julia wondered if the inhabitants had all fallen in battle before their home was chosen by the Goddess of Death as her abode.

“Yes, it must be the place,” Loki said quietly. “It feels dead.”  
“What happens after we cross the river?” Julia whispered. The golden bridge above the boisterous stream was still separating them from the palace, and the girl squeezed Loki’s palm in hers, seeking the courage to cross the very last border. The Asgardian shot her a quick look and smirked.  
“There is only one way for us to find out.”

They made it halfway across the bridge before the Guardian appeared. The giantess came out of nowhere - it seemed like she had been born from the ashes and snow. The woman was at least two times taller than Loki, muscular and clad in a golden armour, and there was a big black hound by her side. She frowned with suspicion, studying the trespassers.

“You are scared and alive. Garm can sense the blood pumping through your veins.” The guardian of the bridge uttered. The giantess unsheathed the sword and ran her other hand through the rough fur of the beast. “This Realm is not meant for the living…”  
“If the hound attacks, run,” Loki breathed out quietly. He clenched Odin’s broken spear in his hands and pushed Julia behind his back, watching the animal approach. Garm growled threateningly, its ears flat against its head, and poised to pounce.  
“You do not belong here, but I shall let you pass,” the Guardian suddenly said and placed the tip of her sword squarely on the ground. “She is waiting for you.”

Julia cautiously peeked from behind Loki’s shoulder. Both the giantess and the hound moved aside, and the next blow of wind made their silhouettes dissolve like mist. The way was free, and apparently, the Goddess of Death already knew of their arrival.

\----------

Loki and Julia walked through the open doors of the Viking longhouse and lingered, studying the surroundings. The low building was unexpectedly big on the inside, and completely empty. There were two rows of crudely carved wooden columns supporting the roof above their heads, leading towards a throne at the opposite end of the hall. There were shields on the walls and torches in rusty handles, but not a single one was burning. Ashes were falling into the hall through the holes in the roof and covering the clay floor with a soft carpet.

“Hel?!” Loki called as he trod forward, and his voice echoed around. “I am Loki Laufeyson, the Allfather of Asgard, and I have come to talk to you. Show yourself to me!”

Quiet whispers filled the hall as he ceased to speak, and a swirl of snowflakes falling from an opening in the roof formed into a faint tall figure. The ghost lowered itself on the empty wooden throne and turned into a woman.

The Queen of Helheim resembled an ancient marble statue. The Goddess was dressed in a simple tunic, but it did not detract from her regal bearing. Her skin was pale, her wavy hair was chalk-white and reaching her waist, her eyes were blue and bright, shining in the darkness like two precious stones.

“Loki Laufeyson,” Hel said. “I have been waiting for you for so long.”

The voice of Death was surprisingly soft, like mellow flakes of ashes mixed with snow, softly falling on the frozen ground. The Goddess leaned forward, and scarce light fell on her face through a hole in the roof - and at this moment, Julia could barely hold a scream. Half of Hel’s face was a rotting skull, with pieces of flesh falling off and worms and flies swarming over the dead tissue. Hel smiled tenderly at Loki - and the human half of her face moved, while the other one remained a motionless dreadful mask.

Loki and Julia exchanged a quick look, then the man stepped forward.

“Greetings, Hel,” he said with a short bow. “I hope that my unannounced visit does not bring you any trouble. I had no intention to arrive at your Realm uninvited, but your servants have taken one thing which belongs in Asgard. I have arrived…”  
“...To take it back?”

The Goddess snapped her fingers, and the magical shackles binding Loki opened by themselves and fell on the floor. The Asgardian slowly rubbed his wrists, watching Hel with suspicion.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “I have come to your Realm to retrieve the Tesseract.”

Death narrowed her eyes and rested her chin on the palm, and Julia saw that her left hand was skeletal and dead. The Goddess sat in silence for some time, contemplating Loki.

“I am not angry with you for crossing the borders of Helheim without permission, but what surprises me is the purpose of your visit.” Hel finally said. “You arrived to my land following the last order of a man you had once loved so much that you have grown to hate him deeply. Interesting, very interesting... What makes you think that you are strong enough to retrieve the crystal from me?”  
“I am not,” Loki shrugged, doing his best to sound careless and calm. “I am no fool to deceive myself with illusions that I could ever compete with you in strength or magic power, but I hope to make a deal with you.”  
“A deal?” The Goddess cocked her head to a side. She seemed amused, and a smile looked terrifying on her.

The Asgardian nodded.

“Yes. The Infinity Stone is being kept in Asgard to make sure that no one tries to use its power to do harm ever again.” Loki’s face twitched slightly as he spoke of his past deeds. “As the heir of Odin Borson, it is my duty to guard the Tesseract, and I shall not leave without it. Tell me, what do you need it for? Why would an entity as powerful as you require a magic crystal? Allow me to take it back to the place where it belongs, and I shall repay you generously.”  
“Repay me?! The treasures of the Aesir, all that the mortals value is nothing but rubbish to me. Do you hope to bribe me with precious stones and gold?” The Goddess asked mockingly, studying Loki and Julia with detached interest, like a scientist examining an interesting species. “Two little weak creatures, so brave yet so scared… You wish to bargain, although you have nothing and you both know it. What do you think you can offer me, if none of you even has a heart of his own?”

The moment Loki shot her a quick helpless look, Julia knew that Death had spoken the truth. The girl suddenly felt hot inside a dark and frozen hall. Hel’s derisive words were ringing in her ears over and over again, and it was getting hard to breathe with shame and excitement. The Goddess laughed, watching them.

“Do not fret, little ones. I see things that nobody else sees, all that you try to hide and conceal is crystal-clear to me.” The voice of Death rang triumphantly over the devastated hall. “You mortals are so marvelously chaotic and controversial… So many desires and longings tear you apart from the inside that I fail to comprehend how all life in the Universe has survived till this day.”

Hel waved her hand, and a see-through chest appeared out of thin air. The blue crystal inside it was throwing pale reflections on the walls.

“I have ordered my servants to collect the Infinity Stone from Asgard, so that you could have it.” The Goddess said. “The Tesseract is yours, Loki Laufeyson.”

\----------

Loki nervously shifted on his feet, warily watching every move of Hel. He did not step closer to the chest, only clutched the spear tighter, but Death did not seem bothered by his mistrust. She lazily waved her skeletal hand in the air, and the box with the Tesseract clicked open.

“You say you are willing to give me the Tesseract.” Loki said slowly and narrowed his eyes. “Why?!”  
“Because only in your hands it is useful to me.” Death replied. She sighed at the sign of confusion on Loki’s face and went on, speaking quietly as if she was talking to herself. “Ancient prophecies are a tricky thing. I have the power to take away what you value most - life; I am an eternal and timeless being, and yet, a simple poem spoken by an old woman has bound me with unbreakable shackles. I am trapped here, in Helheim, because of a Völva’s prophecy, and I am unable to break free until it is fulfilled.”

Loki remained silent, and the Goddess went on.

“You are the key to my triumph, Loki, and this is the reason why you are here. You are the only one who can set in motion the ship, which shall take my hordes of the dead to conquer the Nine Realms. I have waited long for your arrival, but finally, the day has come. Today, while all Realms are aligned, you shall use the power of the Space Stone to lead my army forward across the dimensions!”

Julia swallowed, listening to the Goddess speak. The certainty in Hel’s voice was unsettling.

“You are so sure of that,” Loki placed the tip of the spear on the floor and rested his palms on the broken shaft.  
“Or course, I am!” Death said softly, as if she was talking to a small stubborn child. “I am an entity beyond time. I know the past, the present and the future of every living being in the Nine Realms, and I know your future as well, Loki Laufeyson.”

She got up from her throne, and Odin’s spear flew out of Loki’s hands. The long wooden shaft shrank, turning shorter and thicker, and the speartip transformed into a bayonet-like curved blade. When the weapon glided back towards the Asgardian, it was no more a spear, but the scepter which he had once possessed, with an empty place where the golden Infinity Stone had been.

“Your future is here, in Helheim, ahead of my army.” Death declared, watching Loki grasp the handle of the scepter. “I give you a chance to create a world of your own, a new world tailored as you want it, where you can be anything - a God, a King...”  
“Sounds too good to be true,” the Asgardian drawled and cocked a brow. Hel’s offer felt like a trick, but the handle of the weapon he had once lost felt familiar in his hands, and the memory of the power the Infinity Stone had given him was making Loki feel anxious.  
“And yet, it is true.” the Goddess looked at him with pity. “There is no reason for me to deceive you, Loki Laufeyson, because the deal I am offering is beneficial for us both. What are you now? An enemy child rescued out of mercy, never good enough for your foster father to be proud of… An unwanted heir burdened with the duty you wish to take off your shoulders in order to follow your heart. I can help you do this, I can set you free of all obligations, so that you could shape the new world and rule it with the woman you love by your side. The only thing you have to do is bow to me.”

Hel’s voice was coming from everywhere, surrounding Loki and Julia with quiet echoes and whispers. It was hypnotizing and enchanting, just like the visions which came along. Julia gasped, watching the silvery shadows of a man and a woman move, talk, and laugh. There were thousands of them - a countless range of moments that she had dreamt of. _Loki, tired and clad in a dust-covered armour, pressing her to his chest in the centre of a vast courtyard; Loki, happy and smiling, carefully cradling their new-born child; Loki, settled at his wide desk with a book, and a dark-haired boy by his side, watching his father with a bored look on his face..._

Resentment and anger swept through Julia like an overwhelmingly strong hot tide. It could have been _her_ , not the Elven Princess. Julia had never seen her, but she already hated the other girl deeply for being the one she could never be, no matter how much she wanted. It could have been _her_ , if only Loki had accepted his fate - but it was one thing that she could not allow to happen.

The visions of the things that could never be were gone, and the girl almost cried, so painful it was to see her happiness fade. Julia blinked away the tears, focusing her eyes on the dark hall and on Loki’s figure by her side - and she saw him hesitate.

“What you say is nothing but lies,” the Asgardian growled stubbornly. “If your armies march through the Nine Realms, there can be no new beginning. I have seen what happens next, the Völva has shown me the dead and devastated lands of Asgard. She visited me, and she wanted me to stop Ragnarok...”

Hel laughed and took a step forward. She walked down from the podium, and as she trod, a swirl of ashes and snow surrounded her figure. By the time the Goddess reached Loki, her appearance changed: the woman’s back was bent and her figure was crooked and small, and her face covered in deep wrinkles.

“Naive, small-minded little creature.“ Hel sighed and transformed back from the feeble old woman into her own self. “The real Völva had visited Odin centuries ago, and he knew all along what kind of fate awaits both you and him. He could have ordered to kill you, he could have sent you away, and yet, he allowed the events to flow the way it had been foretold, because he knows that the words of the prophecy are unbreakable. None of the mortals has the power to avoid his future, even the Allfather.”  
“No…” Loki breathed out, and his face lit up by the blue glow of the Infinity Stone was a sorrowful mask.  
“Hush, my boy,” The Goddess gently caressed Loki’s cheek with her bony hand. “You must be feeling so powerless now, but it shall pass - it all shall pass once you embrace your glorious future. You mortals are so predictable - all I had to do was pull one single string and tell a young ambitious King of the inevitable danger that lies upon his Realm. What you did next was obvious - you swore to stop Ragnarok, and with a little help from my servants your desire to do the right thing set in motion the chain of events leading to this very moment.”

Having said so, Death turned to Julia, and a small frown crossed her forehead.

“Even though some encounters had never been a part of the prophecy, you made it till here despite the distractions you had faced on the way. Now you see: no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try - there is no way to escape your fate. Every single figure must be in place, and I need you, Loki Laufeyson, to take your place.” Hel uttered and dissolved to ashes, only to appear back on the throne a moment later. “Make up your mind, my boy, while there is still time left before the day of Convergence ends. The Tesseract is yours, and you are free to use it the way that pleases you the most. If you wish to take it back to the Realm where every single man despises you for being a traitor - so be it. But why choose a life of a loathsome outlaw, when you can stand by my side and forge a world of your own? What I am offering you is _freedom_ , Loki Laufeyson. What shall be your answer to me?”

Loki stood still, with his head low, and minutes passed. The Asgardian clutched the handle of the scepter so tightly that his knuckles turned blue. The man was more pale than ever, his lips pressed into a thin line and eyes sparkling in the darkness with a feverish glow. He did not move or say a word, but Julia already knew what his answer would be.

“Loki,” the girl whispered. “For God’s sake, don’t do this!”  
“Why not?” Loki asked bitterly. The Asgardian took a deep breath, and a shade of blue swept over his face, revealing his true Jotunn nature. His eyes shone with red when he looked at the girl. “Tell me, what do I have to lose, my love?”  
“Loki, please!” Julia cried out, feeling more helpless than ever.  
“Quiet, child,” the Goddess of Death purred with delight, and Julia felt a cold invisible hand lock around her forearm, holding her in place. “Do not try to fight the fate.”

The girl jerked, trying to set herself free, helplessly watching Loki kneel before Hel.

“I accept your deal,” the Asgardian said, and his voice was a deep rumble, a terrifying inhuman sound Julia had never heard before. “I shall bow to you, and I shall steer the ship of the dead and take your army to conquer the Nine Realms. In exchange for my service I wish to rule the conquered land and to have this woman as my own.”

The clatter of arms filled the hall as he spoke, and the shadows of the dead surrounded Loki and Hel. There were thousands of them - men and women clad in armour, a terrible horde awaiting its leader.

Death nodded at Loki, accepting his demands, and the surface of the Tesseract cracked, unleashing the energy locked inside. Magic left the crystal and swept through the dark hall, and then flowed towards Hel. The Goddess stretched out a hand, and the blue glow concentrated on her open palm, shining brighter and brighter with every moment, until it was locked in a small transparent orb, no bigger than a tennis ball.

"So be it," Hel uttered. “Your army awaits you.”

Loki got up from his knees and reached out for the orb with the power of the Space Stone trapped inside a fragile shell, and the only thing left for Julia was to stand and watch him. She needed to put an end to this, to make Loki stop - but _how_?

The girl twitched in a vain attempt to wriggle out of the invisible clutches, and a crazy idea flashed through her mind. The contract binding the two of them together left her with deep burns on her wrist. If making a deal had been so painful, Julia could only imagine what the termination of the agreement might feel like. What happens when ice meets fire? It seemed like a good moment to find out.

The girl took a deep breath.

“Loki Laufeyson, the Allfather of Asgard,” she yelled and squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for whatever was about to follow. “I release you of your promise!”

At first, nothing happened. Julia opened her eyes and met an indifferent gaze of the Goddess. The girl swallowed down the tears as she helplessly watched the Asgardian lock his palm around the Infinity Stone.

At least she tried.

Her plea reached the fire entity watching over them a moment later. A streak of light fell from the dark skies, cutting through the roof, and hit the floor between her and Loki. A ring of fire surrounded the two of them, the flames rising so high that the tall figure of Hel was barely visible behind the orange haze. The familiar burning pain pierced Julia’s body, and she heard a plain unfamiliar voice reciting the words of Loki’s vow to hunt down the magical creatures and protect her. The first fresh red mark appeared over the deep white scars covering her forearm, and the girl bit into her palm to distract herself from the torture she had deliberately brought upon herself. Through a veil of tears she saw Loki collapse on his knees and let go of the orb and the scepter. Vapor surrounded his figure, and his coat began to smolder. The man opened his mouth in a cry, but Julia could not hear a single sound except for her own frantic heartbeat, and soon she could barely see the Asgardian through the thick cloud of smoke.

By the moment the torture was over, Julia was still on her feet, though she had no idea how she had endured the pain without falling unconscious. The blue sphere rolled towards her across the floor, and the girl stopped it with her boot. When the vapor dissolved, she saw Loki sprawled on the ground. Julia hoped that he would move, but he didn't, and she could only pray that he would not be dead. The flames around them were subsiding. The girl looked up at Death and felt her lips curve into a cold wicked grin.

“Lost something?” Julia lightly pressed her boot over the orb and heard a quiet crack. “It would have been a shame if someone just broke this thing.”  
“No.” Hel breathed out, staring at the girl with terror. “Do not do it.”  
“Why not?!” Julia snarled at the Goddess, feeling the adrenaline bubble in her veins. “What shall you offer _me_? To rule the Galaxy, to build a brand new world where everyone will live happily ever after?”  
“Anything,” the Goddess assured Julia, and the girl saw her take a tiny step forward. “Anything you wish for, just give me back the crystal! If you destroy it, the consequences might be devastating.”

Julia brushed her palm over the face, wiping away the tears freezing on the eyelashes, and laughed. Her voice was hoarse with crying, and it took her a great effort to focus the eyes on the woman’s silhouette in front of her. She was not part of the prophecy, but sometimes one does not have to be a piece of a big intricate plan to make things right. It just takes a little self-sacrifice and courage.

“No,” Julia replied firmly. “I don’t want to take over the world, and I ain't buying your shit, you fucking manipulative bitch!”

She stamped on the Infinity Stone with all the force she had left, and the crack of the sphere was strangely melodic. Julia expected a blast of magic, an explosion - but none followed. The girl looked down on the ground and saw that the orb was broken, shattered to little pieces. The energy was slowly spreading across the hall, flooding the floor like an enormous blue glowing puddle.

It must have been the magic of the destroyed Infinity Stone which allowed Julia to hear the echo of an enormous clock counting the moments left till the day of the Convergence would end. One, two, three - the girl closed her eyes and felt the slightest vibrations of the whole Universe, as the Realms were moving back to their places. It was the second of November, and she had just singlehandedly prevented Ragnarok from happening.

With a triumphant smile Julia opened her eyes and met a hateful glare of Hel.

“Stupid, worthless mortal! You ruined everything!” The Goddess of Death hissed. “You do not even know what you have done!”  
“No, not a single idea,” Julia confessed. She was so exhausted that even fear faded away. “Is it the moment when you kill me?”  
“No. Not me.”

The Goddess waved her hand in the air, and Loki moved. The ice giant slowly got up on his knees and lowered his head before Hel. Death looked at Julia, and a revengeful smile curved her lips.

“Kill her.”

Julia’s heart missed a beat when she saw Loki pick up the scepter from the floor. The man walked towards her, and the girl jumped away from him, towards the fading flames behind her back.

“Loki?” She desperately looked around, but there was not a single weapon that she could use to protect herself. “Loki, it's me! Stop!”

There was not a sign of recognition in the red eyes of the ice giant, and there was nowhere to run.

“Loki, please, don’t!” Julia whispered and squeezed her eyes shut not to see him aim a blow.

The girl felt a forceful push between her ribs, and it did not hurt as much as she would have expected. Julia looked down at the sharp blade of the scepter piercing through her chest, the weapon slowly changing back to Odin’s broken spear. The next breath came out laboured. The girl whimpered and clenched her hands on the spear, her fingers slippery and covered in hot sticky blood. She raised her eyes at a tall figure of the ice giant towering over her, and slowly slid down on the floor of the ruined hall. The flames were starting to lick the walls and wooden columns supporting the low roof. With the next breath Julia took she felt a wave of pain sweep through her body and concentrate in the middle of the chest. The girl could taste blood in her mouth. She tried to keep her eyes open, but her eyelids became strangely heavy, and the burning Viking palace was starting to fade. The last thing Julia saw before the darkness embraced her was a pair of bright red eyes slowly turning green.

\----------

Julia woke up to quiet splashes of water and the solid ground under her back rocking slightly, like a boat on the waves. For some time the girl lay motionless, with her eyes closed, her mind clouded and her whole body numb, and she had never felt better. If she only could, Julia would have stayed like this forever and rest, and never go to office again, but then she remembered that she was dead, impaled by Odin’s spear - a demise rather glorious for a mid-level corporate employee...

The girl yelped and sat up, shivering with shock and terror and pressing her palm over the chest where an open wound was supposed to be - but there was none, even though her blouse was wet and dark with blood.

“Loki!”

Her voice was hoarse, and the cry came out laboured. Speaking hurt, breathing hurt, every sore muscle in her body hurt, and the pale yellow glow coming from the deck and the mast seemed so bright that tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Julia cringed and almost collapsed face down on the solid surface, but a pair of hands supported her.

“Careful, don't rush.” The girl heard Loki's voice. With the man’s help she sat straight. “Try to breathe slowly.”

Julia convulsively gulped for air and wiped off the tears, focusing her eyes on a big blurry spot in front of her. The Asgardian looked anguished and exhausted, his features sharpened by the yellow glow coming from the deck and the rigging of the ship. There were wet streaks of tears on his dirty cheeks, and fresh burn marks on his hands. The man stared at the girl with disbelief for a longer moment, and then let out a hoarse pained cry and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Julia! Oh, praise the Norns… I didn't… I thought it won't work!”

Julia could hardly breathe, and she could swear that she felt some small bones crack. It took her three or four forceful punches to make Loki notice her attempts to break free. The Asgardian slightly loosened his embrace and ran his fingers through her messy hair.

“Are you in pain, sweet bird?” He breathed out, covering her face in hesitant kisses. “Show me, where it hurts… Norns, I can't believe that you are back, it is a miracle...”  
“No!” Julia cried out, and her voice echoed over the dark waters. “Get away from me!”

Loki jerked, as if she had hit him. He let go of the girl and hastily moved away, settling on the deck by the opposite side of the long narrow vessel.

“What happened to me?” Julia breathed out, trying to pull herself together and feeling her teeth clatter. The events of the past few days were mixing with her childhood memories, the faces of people were blurry one moment and sharp the other. The surface of the deck under her palms was cold and uneven. “Where am I? What is this... thing?!”  
“This is Naglfar, the ship of the dead.” Loki replied.  
“God…” Julia felt her head spin, and covered her mouth with the palms in an attempt to stifle a vomit - the legends said that the vessel was made of the corpses’ fingernails. “I am dead, right?”

Loki shook his head.

“No, Julia, you…”  
“I am dead!” She whined in a shaky voice. “I am dead, and I will remain in Hel for all eternity!...”  
“No, you will not.”

The girl laughed, slightly swaying from side to side. She had a strange bitter taste in her mouth. Julia brushed her palm over the lips and looked down at her fingertips covered in sticky red juice.

“Why are we on a ship?!” She whimpered.  
“It seemed like the fastest way to leave Helheim to me.” Loki replied gingerly. “Once Naglfar has left the land of the dead behind, it shall head to Asgard as it has been foretold. I thought that Hel would not mind if I borrow her ship, since I am the only one who can set it in motion…”

Myths and tales from all over the world speak of different ways for the souls to reach the Realm of the Dead, but they rarely mention how one can escape it, probably because there had not been many lucky runaways so far. Loki and Julia were fleeing Helheim on the Viking longship with no oars nor sails. It was gliding over the dark waters, except that there was no army of the dead on the vessel, just the two of them floating through the space ocean, and unfamiliar constellations were lighting the way.

“How can you borrow Hel’s ship and get away with it? Why did she let you go?” Julia inquired sharply, glaring at Loki with suspicion.  
“Why would she not?! The day of Convergence is over, and I am of no use to her now, since I did not fulfil my role.” He uttered uneasily and rubbed his eyes, spreading soot over his wet cheeks. “I mean, since you did not let me...”  
“And for that, you killed me!” Julia gasped, remembering the last missing pieces. “Shit, you killed me, and now I am dead!”  
“You are not dead.” Loki said. “Not anymore.”

Julia stared at him in shock and wonder, and the Asgardian started to speak, avoiding to look her in the eyes.

“The legends call these wild apples the Golden Fruits of Idun. They are a rare thing in Asgard, and only the priests and royal healers are allowed to gather them. The Aesir men usually carry these fruits to battle to recover from the injuries. I… I took the liberty to use them to heal you and bring you back.”

Julia slowly nodded. The name of the fruits sounded familiar, and she kept straining her tired mind in vain attempts to remember where she had heard it. Loki buried his face in the palms for a moment, but then he looked up at the girl with a decisive look on his face.

“Long ago, when your Realm had not been separated from Asgard, the apples of Idun were used to increase the longevity of the humans who were willing to join the Aesir.“ Loki said hesitantly, as if he was worried that the courage would leave him. “Unfortunately, in order for the ritual to be fulfilled, one has to be dead, and this could have been the reason why so little maidens were willing to spend the rest of their days with the Aesir men. Consuming the apples of Idun takes a lot of courage…”

It felt as if someone had covered her head with a big heavy pillow, and Julia gulped for air, watching Loki’s lips move. Now she remembered - the Golden Apples of Idun were a magical remedy which allowed the Gods of Asgard to remain young and healthy for thousands of years.

“You revived me?!” The girl yelped in disbelief.  
“Yes.”  
“You… you revived me and made me _immortal_?!

Loki sighed.

“Immortal is not the right word.” He replied. “You will still die - in eight, maybe ten thousand years. You are just less mortal than you used to be.”  
“No.” Julia hugged her knees. “No, no… This is impossible!”  
“If it had been impossible, you would not be here now,” Loki countered quietly.  
“No, wait, how…? Why?! I don’t…” The girl sniffled, wiping off the tears. “W-what about my family?! I will live for ten thousand years, and I will have to watch them all die?! I don’t want this. I… I don’t want to be immortal. You can’t just revive someone without their permission! How could you do this to me?! No, no, no...”  
“Calm down!” Loki cried out, losing his patience. “I did not have much of a choice, and I had to think fast while I still could save you. Yes, your lifespan is now considerably longer than that of your relatives, and you will see them all grow old and die, but there is nothing I can do about it. I am sorry! I know that this… solution is not ideal, but would you prefer to be dead, my love?”

Julia whimpered and shook her head. Only a week ago she could hardly imagine Loki speaking openly of his feelings for her, and she would surely be glad to learn that he loved her, but now this knowledge did not bring her relief nor happiness.

“Don't!” The girl shuddered. “Don't say it, please!”  
“Why wouldn't I?” Loki snarled at her. “I have always been accused of lies; can't I speak the truth just for once? I love you, Julia!”

Julia growled and kicked him with all her strength, and then again.

“I love you!” Loki repeated stubbornly, ignoring her kicks.  
“Don't you dare say it!” Julia sobbed out. “You… you killed me! You fucking selfish bastard!”

Loki winced.

“You killed me!” Julia whispered again and curled up on the deck.

The cards never lie, and the dreadful Gypsy fortune-telling promising her death turned out to be true. Loki kept his word as well - he did not let any other being do Julia harm. Instead, he killed her himself.

“Julia, please, listen to me,” The Asgardian said and cautiously moved a little closer to her. “I had no control over my actions. I did not intend to kill you.”  
“Of course you didn't!” The girl laughed at the verge of a hysterical breakdown. “What else didn't you intend to do? Lead the army of fucking zombies to conquer Asgard?! Start a goddamn Apocalypse?!”  
“Listen, I…”  
“No, _you_ listen!” Julia growled angrily. “How could you do this to me, to… to everyone?! Do you even realize what could have happened? My whole family would be dead, your brother would be dead… You agreed to exterminate all life in the Nine Realms - in exchange for what?!”  
“A second chance, maybe?” Loki hissed at the girl. “Would you not take it?! What Hel said is true: I shall rule the land of Asgard as a legitimate King now, but I shall never be one in the eyes of the people. The past shall stain me forever, and there would be no place for you by my side…”  
“I would not want one.” Julia whispered and closed her eyes. “Ruling a damaged lifeless world is not a chance to start again, Loki. It sounds more like a purgatory to me, and I would rather be dead than trapped in it with you for the rest of my days.”

The first orange beams of the rising sun shone over the longship and the two small figures on the deck, and the vessel crossed the border between the worlds, bringing them back to the Realm of the living. The ship was moving slower with every passing moment, and the only thing Julia wished for was to stop the time, because it was the end, the great finale, and they were back in the world where there could be no place for her by Loki’s side, where their paths were about to diverge forever, since there was no more contract binding them together.

The girl got up from the deck with effort and rested her elbows on the side of the ship. The vessel was gliding over the cobalt-blue waters of the bay in the heart of the glorious capital of Asgard. A steady hum of voices was filling the air, and behind a veil of milky-white mist Julia could see countless white banners. The ship of the dead softly moored by a low sloping coast, and when the morning haze dissolved, the girl realized that the landing was filled with people - warriors and nobles, as well as the simple folk, with Thor and Heimdall ahead of them, all waiting for something - or someone?

Julia turned back to look at the Asgardian, and she saw as much pain in his eyes as she felt in her heart, tearing her from the inside.

“What should I do now?” Loki asked so quietly that Julia guessed the words solely by the movement of his lips. The sky above their heads was pale blue, with stars slowly fading in the morning sunbeams.  
“You do whatever the hell you want.” The girl shrugged, doing her best to sound indifferent and careless, but her voice was shaky, and hot tears were flowing down her cheeks. “Isn’t it the best part of being the King of Asgard?”

Loki nodded and stepped closer. He softly brushed his palm over Julia’s cheek, and she leaned into the touch, biting her lip and realizing that one more word, one more second, one more heartbeat - and she will break down into sobs.

“I am glad that I have met you, Julia,” The man said and pressed his lips to hers in a short farewell kiss.

The Asgardian turned away from her and jumped over the side of the ship into the cold water of the bay reaching to his knees. The man straightened his back, studying the silent croud, and the people filling the harbour hesitated - but then the men and women knelt before Loki Laufeyson, the only legitimate heir of Odin Borson and the new Allfather.

The King of Asgard was dead.  
Long live the King!


	34. The Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The chapter where everything ends, and everything begins.
> 
> I am very grateful to you all for the wonderful support and for following the adventures of Loki and Julia. I hope you will love the ending!  
> Just like I had promised, I will post a little Christmas bonus in a couple of days :)
> 
> Stay safe, and Merry Christmas to you all!

It has been three full days since her resurrection. Julia had been examined by the healers at least ten times, she got cleaned up and dressed, and she had absolutely no idea what to do with herself. While pacing a spacious chamber on one of the upper floors of the palace Julia started to suspect that Loki might have forgotten about her, because he did not drop by a single time. From the other hand, there was no reason for him at all to drop by, and however painful it was, Julia could understand it. There was no place for her in his life anymore, and there was no point in waiting for the impossible to happen. It was time to move on for both of them.

On the fourth day of her afterlife the girl packed up - if getting dressed in her office pants and a knee-long tunic could be called so. Her white blouse was stained in blood and torn after Loki's deadly blow, and the maidens had thrown it away; her phone had been lost somewhere in the frozen wastelands of Helheim, as well as the purse with all the credit cards, but the keys to the front door were still in the back pocket of the black slacks. For a moment Julia hesitated, whether writing a farewell note would have been appropriate, but then she decided against it. All had been made clear between the two of them on deck of a ship taking them from the underworld to Asgard.

None of the guards stopped Julia on the way out of the palace, and the girl’s humble request to take her to the observatory was fulfilled without unnecessary delay. When she walked into a spacious round chamber, Julia was sincerely glad to see Heimdall alive and well. The Guardian rested his palms on the hilt of his enormous sword placed squarely on the ground, and gave the girl an interested look. Julia waved at him from the door.

“Home?” She asked him awkwardly. For a moment the girl had a feeling that the Asgardian shall refuse to comply with her request, but then she pushed that irrational hunch away. There was absolutely no reason for him to do it. As if he had heard her thoughts, the Guardian huffed with amusement and placed the blade of his sword into a narrow opening between the spinning orbs, opening the passage between dimensions.  
“As you wish,” he rumbled, staring at her from above with his bizarre orange eyes. “We will see each other again.”  
“I seriously doubt that.” Julia replied plainly and walked past him into the portal.

\----------

When one breaks into pieces the Infinity Stone with the power to bend reality and open portals through dimensions, there might be consequences. Julia witnessed them on the next morning upon her return home, when the milky haze in the air dissolved under the beams of a pale winter sun. In the blue sky she could clearly see a thick tree trunk with clouds trapped between mighty branches covered in ever-green leaves. Yggdrasil looked like a Fata Morgana, and for a longer moment the girl just stared at the vision in the sky with eyes wide open. Unlike she had feared, the day of Convergence did not end with a catastrophe. Her planet did not crash into the Superhero Earth, causing destruction and millions of casualties - there was no earthquake nor tsunami either, not even acid rain. Earth occupied its not very rightful place in the cosmic system of the Nine Realms, making it Ten - an outcome both happy and unexpected.

Naturally, the whole world was going crazy. Every single news broadcast concentrated on the inexplicable phenomenon. There were those who blamed the appearance of an enormous tree in the sky on the climate change, there were those who made an attempt to measure distance between Earth and Yggdrasil - and failed; and those who expected the end of days to come soon. The latter was making Julia laugh - not a single person in the whole world knew that she had just prevented the Apocalypse from happening.

Real heroes do not always wear capes.

It was by afternoon of the same day that the dark skies cracked open. The stream of cosmic energy was so bright and mighty that witnessing the Rainbow Bridge from her kitchen window, Julia could not tell if it had hit the ground a hundred steps away from her house, or somewhere over the English Channel. With shaky hands the girl grabbed the TV remote control, watching a live footage from Paris where the Bifrost had opened. Blinding light filled the Louvre courtyard; the ground shook, and the famous glass pyramid exploded into millions of tiny pieces. Between dark shadows of fleeing and screaming tourists Julia discerned a familiar tall figure.

Apparently, one cannot fight his fate, and the end will come in one form or another. This, in Julia's understanding, was the end, and she waited for an army to appear behind Loki's back - but suddenly, there was none. Only three or four guards accompanied the Allfather, and with surprise the girl saw Thor by his side as well. The Asgardians stood in the bright lights of the police cars, engaged in a quiet relaxed discussion, and patiently waited for the authorities to approach them. They seemed to have arrived in peace.

When all news channels broadcasted Loki and Thor getting into a military Jeep which took them to the Elysee Palace, all those who had believed in the existence of alien civilizations relieved a moment of triumph, the number of Google searches related to Norse mythology reached the apex, and Julia’s afterlife turned into a little private purgatory.

Loki was grinning at her from every TV screen and magazine cover, Loki was delivering speeches at the United Nations, Loki was demonstrating to the fascinated audience the interactive map of the Nine Realms formed by swirling see-through orbs representing the planets. Julia felt like she had ended up inside the Groundhog Day movie - and although it was not Loki’s fault that every single news station had chosen to broadcast him non-stop, she hated him for that.

 _Don't you see, you fools?!_ \- the girl wanted to scream, - _only evil giants live on top of a beanstalk!_ \- but no one would have listened to her.

The Asgardian was ingenious, graceful, amiable and charming, and he seemed to have made half the world fall in love with him, while the other half was blowing a whistle and protesting in front of the UN Headquarters. Julia could understand their concerns. It was not a normal thing for Norse Gods-slash-comic book villains to come to life, and it was suspicious of them not to misbehave.

Indeed, however unexpected it was, since the first descent of the Aesir King to Midgard his only transgression was not paying parking fines. After the first wave of agitation had faded, and the Allfather had met with nearly every important political figure in the world, he got himself a car. The Internet exploded with photos of Loki driving a retro black Chevrolet Impala down the First Avenue in New York city, and then parking it by the main entrance to the UN Headquarters, and Julia could bet that he did not know a single traffic regulation. Despite all her rancour the girl had to admit that the images of Loki nonchalantly throwing a pile of parking tickets into the litter bin were hilarious, as well as the fact that no one dared to seize his car for not paying the bills. He was a fucking star, and for that, Julia hated him as well.

The descent of Loki and the appearance of Yggdrasil in the sky were not the only outstanding occurrences that the world had faced in just one month. With the day of Convergence over and Earth rejoining the Nine Realms, the magic which had been sleeping for almost three hundred years, was finally unleashed. It poured out into the streets in form of a horde of magical beasts - fire-breathing and sharp-toothed, big and small, and a wave of chaos swept through every country, forcing the governments to declare martial law to cope with the unrest.

This was the moment Julia had feared the most since the first time she had considered the possibility of Earth taking its place in the Nine Realms alongside its reflection inhabited by superheroes. The world embraced by anarchy and terror was an easy target for the Asgardian army, and the girl waited for Loki to take advantage of the current situation and claim the new Realm a colony. There was nowhere to run, and there was no point in hiding. Julia was so wound up she could not sleep.

Several days of uncertainty passed, but the invasion of the Aesir army had not begun yet. Instead, Loki suddenly offered help and advice. Watching the footage of tall warriors in clattering armour disable a poisonous Greek chimera, the girl could not believe her eyes at first, but then the same repeated in Scottish Highlands where a pack of dangerous wyverns had started to hunt people and sheep. The interventions of the Aesir troops were precise and efficient, and the news of Loki’s soldiers helping to contain the magical beasts all over the world were leaving Julia both delighted and unnerved. She had no idea why Loki had decided to play the good cop and how soon he would grow bored of being a friendly neighbour, but she already knew him well enough to anticipate some mischief at the moment when it is the least expected.

On the fourteenth day of her afterlife Julia gathered enough courage to come to her office - her _former_ office, and an indifferent HR secretary handed her over a termination notice. There was no point in arguing - she had disappeared for several days without a word, no wonder her services were no longer required.

When Julia was done with the formal part of getting fired and signed all the necessary papers, she crept into the open space to collect her personal belongings. Despite all her caution, Julia did not make it to her desk, because with a predatory growl Barbara ambushed her from behind and pulled the girl into the nearest conference room.

“You little lying piece of crap!” The woman hissed instead of a greeting, and threw at Julia a magazine with a big picture of Loki smiling from the bright cover. She had clearly been lying in wait for some time already, because the magazine was from three days ago. “Family-run company?! Daddy in coma?!”  
“Barbara…”  
“And your pet?! I expected a guinea pig or a parrot, but a creepy human-faced bird?! She… _it_ tried to eat my cat!” The woman ceased to speak only to catch a breath.  
“I can explain…” Julia yelped, pressing the magazine against her chest.  
“You'd better explain! I've been worried sick since the day you left! You didn’t answer your phone for several days in a row... I thought you got abducted! Your mother called me twice!”  
“Shit…”  
“Exactly! I had to sell her some bullshit about you hiking in Scandinavia with your boyfriend.” Barbara noticed a sorrowful look on Julia's face and sighed, calming down a little. “Don't worry, I nailed it and she does not suspect a thing. Just call your parents this evening, and everything will be fine.”

Julia sat down on the office chair and hung her head low, waiting for the storm to pass and watching Barbara pace the tiny premise.

“First you run out of office as if your very life depended on it, leaving me with a flying monster and absolutely no idea what to do, then a fucking tree appears out of thin air, and after that - guess who falls from heaven? Your Norwegian guy, who turns out to be an ancient Norse God… Shit, he brainwashed me once, now I remember!” The woman groaned and flopped down onto the chair at the opposite side of the table. “I don't know what to think. I am living a normal life, when suddenly I learn that Asgard is real, magic is real, my best friend had been dating Loki for almost a year and didn't say a word about it, and now pixies made a nest in my garden and started stealing stuff, and I have no idea what to do about them!”  
“If you have pixies in your backyard, try leaving some milk and change by the terrace door for the night. This will help to calm them down, in a week or so they will start helping you in the garden.” Julia recited and sighed. “Would you have believed me if I had told you about Loki being real?”  
“No, but I would have appreciated the intention.” Barbara replied strictly. “Thanks for the advice, but I am still keeping your new bag, because you are a little lying shit and you deserve to suffer.”  
“I do.” Julia agreed with a little smile. “I am sorry for lying to you. Most of what I have told you is true - I really met Loki on Christmas Eve. We got to know each other better, and then we… hooked up.”  
“So, the part with him getting himself a bride is also real?” Barbara asked her quietly.  
“As real as it can be,” Julia said with a disappointed grimace. Loki was clearly enjoying the attention he was getting, benevolently allowing the reporters to question him on a wide range of topics, including private ones. The most recent article placed him on top of the list of the most attractive bachelors, and the Asgardian did not seem to mind, which made Julia’s heart beat faster with strange irrational hope. Maybe the Elven Princess had decided to take the veil instead of getting married.  
“What do you plan to do now?” A question followed, and Julia hesitated.

The journey to Hel had left her with a small neat scar in the middle of her chest, and an unexpected - and unwanted - gift of longevity. It was hard to tell what felt more frustrating - the fact that she had been dead and suddenly she wasn't, or the idea of having several thousands of years ahead of her instead of several decades. The worst part of it was that Julia had absolutely no idea what to do with all this time. She could move to Australia, she could open her own restaurant, she could learn Chinese or rob a bank, and then start all over in an entirely different country, and the only thing the passing years would bring her would be experience and memories. Too bad she did not want either of it.

“I’ll start with booking a flight to London. Christmas is family time.” Julia said.

\----------

The weather was magical as Julia dragged herself home from the shopping mall. With a week still left before Christmas the shops already looked like battlefields, and the presents inside two heavy plastic bags felt like war trophies. Soft fluffy snowflakes were slowly falling down and melting on the ground, and under the golden glimmer of streetlights the wet road resembled an oily black river. Julia would have enjoyed the scenery if it hadn't been for the chill and heavy bags with purchases. She would definitely not mind having a car, but unemployed girls are usually condemned to public communication.

Julia turned left into her driveway and walked towards the front door, absently imagining herself as an owner of a fully operational vehicle, maybe a stylish 1967 Chevrolet Impala, and then recalling that since not long ago Loki owned one, and then trying to make herself stop thinking about the Asgardian - until she reached the porch. The girl dropped the bags on the doormat and stuck the key into the hole. Julia turned it clockwise, but in the quiet of the night she did not hear a familiar click, which could only mean one thing.

The front door was not locked.

Julia swallowed nervously, trying to recall if she could have left it open. She had been getting so little sleep recently that it wouldn’t have been a surprise if she had forgotten to check the lock before leaving, and there was no point in scaring herself. The girl sighed and decisively pushed the door knob. She pulled the heavy bags inside the house and headed down the hall towards the kitchen, intending to finish up an open bottle of wine she had left on the table.

The feeling of creeps on her back returned when Julia brushed her fingers over the empty tabletop. The bottle was gone, and with a yelp of terror the girl jumped back, hoping to reach the front door before the wine-stealing intruder murders her, but then the ceiling lamp shone brightly, and Julia heard a familiar quiet laugh. She turned around very slowly, hoping that it all would turn out to be a bad dream.

Loki was leaning over the kitchen counter, dressed in golden shining armour and the helmet with horns so long they were scratching the ceiling. In the ceremonial Allfather’s outfit he looked magnificently god-like, but the bright light revealed dark circles beneath his eyes and deep sorrowful wrinkles crossing the forehead. The Asgardian saluted the girl with an open bottle and smirked, but his eyes remained serious and sad.

For a longer moment they just stared at each other in silence, then Julia shifted on her feet, seriously considering fleeing from her own house and down the street towards the nearest police station. She was starting to hate Christmas.

Loki was the first to break the strained silence.

“You left Asgard.” He spat out with indignation, and took a sip straight out of the bottle.

It was hard to argue with a statement so obvious, so Julia just shrugged.

“You left without a word.” Loki clarified. “You _fled_.”  
“Yes, it was rather impolite of me, but you seemed… busy.” The girl countered uneasily.

The Asgardian fell silent, and his eyes traveled over a row of empty wine bottles on the floor by the wall. Julia huffed when she noticed the man purse his lips. Her life was a mess and so was her house, but it was none of his business, and the girl opened her mouth to remind Loki of this, but at this moment the Asgardian noticed a scrap of gold on her wrist, and a barely noticeable smirk lifted the corners of his lips.

“You kept my gift.”  
“I had no other choice but to keep it, because this thing is obviously broken and it doesn't open up.” Julia pulled down the sleeve to cover the bracelet and crossed her arms on the chest. Not that she wanted to open it up… “It is actually a pity because I could have paid half of my housing loan if I had sold this thing. You see, I got fired.”  
“Oh, I see.” Loki nodded with a strange expression on his face. “My condolences.”  
“None needed. How are you doing?” Julia was doing her best to sound indifferent and even hostile, but her heart was about to jump out of her chest. God knows how glad she was to see him - glad, and at the same time extremely terrified by what Loki’s visit might bring.  
“All right, I suppose.” the man replied politely. “Thank you for asking.”  
“How is your... Allfather stuff?”  
“Not bad. Good. Fine, actually.” The Asgardian was starting to seem somewhat impatient.  
“Are you still under supervision?” Julia asked in order to fill an awkward pause.  
“Not anymore. The members of the Council of Elders have an advisory vote in the most important initiatives, but my word is final.”  
“Cool. How is Thor doing?” The girl rocked from heels to toes. “I have seen him on the news a couple of times. I thought that he had been banished from Asgard forever...”  
“Yes and no,” Loki countered with a complacent look on his face. “My brother has condemned himself to willful exile from Asgard till the Nine Realms cease to exist, but since there are now Ten of them, I have declared his oath to be invalid, and he was happy to return home.”  
“I am glad to hear that. By the way, what are you doing here? Not that I was being inhospitable...” The girl smiled uneasily and pointed toward the kitchen shelve. “Would you like some tea?”

Loki grimaced.

“No. No tea.” He replied shortly. “I would like to talk.”  
“All right.” The girl answered cautiously and clenched her hands together. “Let’s talk.”  
“You love me.” The man said. Julia shuddered and lowered her head, her cheeks hot with embarrassment. She did, Loki had known it since the day Hel had unveiled so easily what they both had been trying to hide from each other. “Don’t.”

Julia opened her eyes wide and stared at him in surprise. _Don't_. She really wished she could.

“Do you think it works like this?” She asked him with a short nervous laugh.

Loki stubbornly shook his head.

“I do not deserve this.” He said firmly. “I am a dangerous and wretched creature, bringing the good people around me nothing but pain. I care deeply for my brother, but it was my doing that had almost caused him to live in exile. I love you more than life itself, and yet I killed you. Night after night in my sleep I see you die from my hand, and these visions shall haunt me for the rest of my days. It is my weakness that had brought you suffering. I do not deserve your affection, Julia.”  
“You do not always deserve what you get. Consider it a lottery,” the girl whispered bitterly, blinking away the tears of shame. This was the most humiliating conversation in her life. Her happiness from seeing the Asgardian had vanished, and now she wished for him to be gone. “You are not an idiot to think that I will stop caring for you just because you ordered me to.”  
“No, I am not.” Loki agreed with her uneasily. His face suddenly lit up with a bright smile, and he almost took a hasty step towards the girl, but Julia shook her head.  
“Don’t you come any closer!” She spat out angrily, causing the man to back off. “We have discussed this enough times. No matter what I am feeling for you, you still have your Princess bride, and I suggest you take your ass out of my house and never come back. Is it so much fun to make me feel miserable, that you keep doing it over and over again?! Why are you here, Loki?!”

Loki hesitated.

“I had no intention to cause you any distress with my visit.” The King of Asgard said in an apologetic manner and locked his hands behind his back. “You see, since I am no more bound by the opinion of the Council, I have taken the liberty to alter the foreign policy of my Kingdom. Alas, some of my recent decisions have lead to the deterioration of relations between Asgard and Alfheim, and a new alliance might be beneficial for my Realm. Since the moment your planet had joined the Nine Realms, I have been thinking of forging a union with Midgard - things had not worked out well with the other Earth, but I have learned from my mistakes. The humans are not as developed as the Aesir, but it is only a matter of time until your race embraces some technological achievements which my scholars will be allowed to share. Despite the mess which the awakening of magical creatures has caused recently, your Realm is a strategically valuable piece of land since it is located so close to Asgard, and I am no fool to waste an opportunity for a new political treaty.”

Julia nodded with caution, unsure where it was going, and Loki went on.

“I have arrived to offer you a deal. Unfortunately, right now I lack a solid reason to keep on being a benevolent partner to the leaders of your Realm. The kind help which I have been offering to your people with containing the beasts has been nothing else but my good will, and nothing holds me from unleashing the wrath of the Asgardian military force on Midgard. However, one thing shall make me consider further cooperation with your underdeveloped Realm.” The Asgardian took a longer pause, as if he was gathering courage, and looked Julia straight in the eyes. “Marriage.”  
“Marriage?” The girl repeated blankly, realizing that the only thing which could have lead to a political crisis between Asgard and Alfheim was Loki breaking off the engagement. It suddenly got hard to breathe.  
“Yes,” the man said firmly. “I offer you a place by my side in Asgard, and I consider my proposition to be mutually beneficial. For me, a spouse who comes from Midgard would be a guarantee of long-lasting partnership between your Realm and mine. For you, accepting my suit would be a way to ensure that I never hold any ill intentions towards Midgard and cooperate with the local authorities as a friend. Since you care deeply for the fate of your fellow Midgardians, I expect an immediate positive answer.”

This was it, the moment every girl secretly dreams about, the day when the sun shines brightly, and birds wrap garlands of flowers around the shoulders of a happy couple, pulling the lovers closer so that they could kiss. Julia let out a quiet miserable whine, and stared at the Asgardian with eyes wide open. It was hard to tell what shocked her the most - the fact of Loki breaking his engagement in order to marry her instead of the Elven Princess, or his twisted way of proposing which made the whole thing seem like hostile military negotiations.

“You... proposed to me,” Julia whispered in disbelief.

Loki shrugged in a slightly awkward manner, a content smirk forming on his lips as he watched the girl nervously brush her fingers through her hair.

“I can’t believe…” Julia licked her lips, her voice caught in her throat. “You are… You just...”  
“Yes, sweet bird?” Loki gave her a small encouraging nod, his eyes sparkling with glee as he savoured her bewilderment.  
“You… _piece of shit_!”

Loki’s jaw dropped, and Julia could swear that she could have never imagined an entity so powerful could look so stupid and lost. The girl clenched her fists, feeling a tide of rage rise within her. Now, with her planet being a part of the Nine Realms and the language barrier gone thanks to Loki's ability to use Allspeak, Julia did the second thing Polish people do best after excessive drinking.

She had much to say to him.

“You fucking egoistic pig! Horse-fucking dickhead, son of a dirty drinking whore! You go stick your marriage proposal in your mother’s cunt, bloody moron!”  
“Julia…”  
“Don’t you “Julia” me, you piece of crap! I will fucking slaughter you!” She yelped and looked around the kitchen in search of anything heavy or sharp. There was nothing fit to serve as a murder weapon, so Julia just growled and pushed Loki in the chest, angry tears clouding her eyes. “Get the fuck out of my house!”

The man suddenly obeyed and took a step back, and then another one, moving towards the door of her kitchen - and Julia clenched her teeth together, glaring at him with grim triumph and forgetting that the Asgardian could have overpowered her easily if only he wanted to. A bright flash of white came as a surprise, and the girl froze in place with her palms pressed firmly against Loki’s chest. She blinked off the blind spots and raised her eyes at the Asgardian to see a wide victorious grin grow on his lips.

She could have noticed this before, but she had been too nervous and disoriented. Circles of salt were covering the floor of the kitchen, one inside another, with some metal and wooden cutlery neatly placed on top of the lines of white powder. There were seven or eight of them altogether, some broken and others not, creating an impenetrable magical barrier that Loki could not cross - a barrier that Loki had deliberately created.

“It seems that I cannot leave,” the Asgardian said with a falsely regretful shrug. “What a pity.”

Julia glared at him with hatred. Since the very first day Loki had made a public appearance the girl had suspected a scheme behind him being altruistic and helpful, but she could not even imagine that he would be doing it in order to force her into marriage.

“What did I do wrong this time, Julia?!” Loki growled, losing his patience. “Why do you behave like you don't want this? Why do you keep rejecting me?! I am not offering you to become my mistress, I love you and I want you as my wife, or is this also unacceptable for you?!”  
“What is unacceptable is that you are trying to blackmail me into marrying you!” The girl said in a quiet bitter voice, all her anger suddenly gone, and sniffled.

Julia clumsily sat down on the floor and buried her face in the palms. She squeezed her eyes shut so tightly that tiny bright spots started to dance in the darkness, hoping in vain that Loki will be gone if she just doesn’t look at him, but then through her own sobs the girl heard a shuffle of quiet steps and the clatter of metal, and instead of disappearing from her life for all eternity, Loki knelt before her on the floor covered in salt.

“Please stop crying, sweet bird.” He breathed out, and Julia felt his cool fingers lock on her wrists and gently, yet firmly take her hands away from her face. Their eyes met, and Julia was shocked by how helpless Loki looked. “I will do anything for you, my love, just do not cry, and… please, do not make me leave! You know that I am not good at asking, Julia, but I do not wish you to marry me out of fear for the fate of your folk.” He said quietly. “If you say no, I swear that I will leave you in peace and not do any harm to the people of your Realm, but Norns, I wish you would just consider... I had been such a fool thinking that a stolen throne shall bring me happiness! The only thing I crave is for you to be be by my side till the end of my days, and nothing else matters to me. If there will be war with Alfheim - so be it, I couldn’t care less…”

Loki was speaking quickly and hesitantly, as if he was afraid that she would silence him, and his eyes were sparkling feverishly. Julia reached out and cupped his face with her palms, staring at the man with disbelief.

“Loki, stop… Do you even understand what you are doing?” She breathed out in wonder.  
“I am doing whatever the hell I want,” Loki said firmly, and his mouth twitched with a smile he was desperately trying to hold. “Isn’t it the best part of being the King of Asgard?! After all, I am the first Jotunn to rule the land of Aesir, I might as well become the first Allfather to marry a woman out of love.”

The birds with garlands of flowers were back, and probably the sun would have shone brightly if it hadn't been late winter evening. Julia laughed between sobs and tried to wipe off the tears, but they kept running down her cheeks. The flow of time stopped, and the whole Universe ceased to exist, leaving the two of them in the dark vacuum of uncertainty.

It was up to her to decide, where they go from there. Sometimes the right decisions are the least reasonable ones, and one small step ahead opens the road into the unknown, leading into the future both happy and vague. Was she courageous enough to take this step? Julia had her answer already. She had no idea if the Queen of Asgard is supposed to wear pants and work in an office, or if she would need a passport to register the marriage officially, and what her LinkedIn profile might look like and what her parents might say - but she was looking forward to find out.

The End.


	35. Chapter 35

Dear All,

I hope you have been well :) I'd like to let you know that I have started a big and epic sequel about futher adventures of Loki and Julia. 

When one makes a bold decision to dive headfirst into a serious relationship, there might be unexpected difficulties. Loki and Julia will have no other choice but to face them together, and hope it all works out well.

You can find the second part here:  
http://archiveofourown.org/series/622444


End file.
